ITF

2021 ITF Annual Review 32 TOURS AND PLAYER PATHWAY The ITF Seniors Tour is a global tennis tour that provides players aged 30 and over with a high quality and enjoyable compe ve experience. ITF Seniors tournaments range from Grade S100 (aimed at entry level players), through to S1000 (aimed at elite players), featuring singles, doubles and mixed doubles events for each five-year age increment from 30 plus through to 90 plus. The ITF Seniors World Championships are the pinnacle of the ITF Seniors Tour, providing more compe ve opportuni es on the world stage for players from the 30 plus to 90 plus age categories in both team and individual events. A sport that can be enjoyed throughout life The ITF Seniors Tour flourished in 2021, with 21,760 players compe ng in a total of 45,800 matches. We extended the age range of Seniors, introducing a 30 plus age category and 90 plus age category to create more opportuni es at both ends of the scale. The changes were made following independent research which showed that 20% of all tennis players are aged 25-34 years, while the 35 plus age groups make up an addi onal 50% of the en re tennis- playing popula on. In the first year of the new 30 plus age category in 2021, over 600 people gained an ITF Seniors ranking by playing on the tour. The 90 plus age category was included at our flagship ITF Seniors World Individual Championships in Mallorca, Spain. The event saw 97-year-old compe tor Leonid Stanislavskyi of Ukraine invited to hit with Rafael Nadal at his nearby academy, truly highligh ng that tennis is a game for everyone, no ma er what age. Former Seniors World Champion Rita Price of USA is currently the oldest woman in the 90 plus age group, at 95 years old. With the Seniors Tour suspended between March and August 2020 due to Covid-19, the ITF protected rankings of players to ensure they wouldn't lose any ranking points if they weren't able to travel or play. This will con nue through to August 2022 where necessary. Seniors Tennis • In August 2022, the ITF Seniors Tour was launched with an all-new rebrand and name, ITF World Tennis Masters Tour, to be er reflect and a ract the wide range of ages, levels and opportuni es the tour and tournaments provide • A key aim of this is to make the tour more relatable to all age groups, par cularly the younger ones, and to ensure more people, wherever they come from, are able to realise the benefits and opportuni es of tennis as a lifelong sport • These benefits include health and fitness, travel, social interac on, fun and other mo va onal rewards A new era of Masters tennis for players age 30+

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