ITF

UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour Pre-pandemic, the ITF delivered around 160 wheelchair tennis tournaments per year, in partnership with our member Na onal Associa ons and tournament organisers. By the final quarter of 2021 we had returned to 87% of 2019 tournament numbers. During the year we held 89 tournaments on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour. The 2021 NEC Wheelchair Masters, the marquee year-end event of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, took place in November in Orlando, USA, with 39 players par cipa ng across six singles and doubles draws. In 2021, the sizes of quad singles draws were increased from four to eight players at the Australian Open, US Open and the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters. The increase followed ongoing dialogue with the Grand Slam tournaments and reflects the increased depth of the quad division. It will provide addi onal top-level playing opportuni es and enhance progression chances for all players in the division. For 2022, Roland Garros and Wimbledon have also increased quad singles draws to eight players, thereby achieving consistency across all four Grand Slam events. During 2021, the ITF introduced and implemented evidence-based, sport- specific minimum impairment criteria following an independent review of wheelchair tennis's classifica on rules. We also adapted player evalua on protocols so classifica on events can take place in unpredictable environments such as Covid-19 and were able to deliver classifica on for all Tokyo 2020 Paralympic tennis athletes in advance of the Games. More opportuni es for wheelchair tennis The ITF con nues to benefit from the valuable support of commercial partner UNIQLO, which has renewed its tle sponsorship of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour through to 2024, and the Cruyff Founda on, which con nues to support our junior and development ac vi es. In 2022 we will con nue to collaborate with the Grand Slam tournaments to plan a strategy for enhancing elite playing opportuni es at each event. Alongside this, the ITF will conduct a broad review of the structure of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour and recommend changes to facilitate player progression and ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the tour. Further targeted sport-specific research will be planned and implemented to help inform and provide insight for decisions and strategy for classifica on, including a review of the exis ng open and quad divisions. The ITF will also explore the integra on of wheelchair tennis with the ITF World Tennis Number (WTN), as a way of providing greater compe ve and social inclusion for wheelchair players, and to complement the world rankings. 2021 ITF Annual Review 30 TOURS AND PLAYER PATHWAY

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