ITF

The ITF's goal is for wheelchair tennis to be the world's most popular wheelchair sport, by providing opportuni es for people to play the game at all levels. We offer professional tournaments on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, stage the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, and fund the grassroots development of the game. There were 144 tournaments on the 2022 UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, a return to 86% of pre-pandemic levels. The ITF will con nue to work with member na ons to increase the number of events. Grand Slam growth We collaborate closely with the four Grand Slam tournaments to ensure these major events are the cornerstones of the tour calendar. In 2022 both Roland Garros and the US Open increased their men's and women's wheelchair draw sizes, and for the first me all four majors offered an eight-player quad draw (for men and women with impairments in three or more limbs). The US Open offered a record total prize purse of $1 million for a wheelchair tournament, and prize money available for wheelchair players across all Grand Slam events combined increased by 55%. This growing recogni on for wheelchair tennis means more playing opportuni es and higher earning poten al for elite athletes, and greater visibility of the sport around the world, which supports the development of the game. The ITF's interna onal wheelchair team event, the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, is the wheelchair tennis equivalent of Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. A record 88 teams from 42 na ons took part in 2022 across regional qualifica on events and the World Group compe on, held in Villamoura, Portugal. The 2022 NEC Wheelchair Masters, the marquee year-end championships of the tour, took place in Oss, Netherlands, with 39 players compe ng in six singles and doubles draws. Under our athlete classifica on programme, we conducted over 300 player evalua ons, and have undertaken 700 in total since 2019. We launched a new research project to study the physical demands of wheelchair tennis, to guide future enhancements to the classifica on system. Plans for 2023 In 2023, in collabora on with our partners and stakeholders, we will develop our elite compe on and regional pathway structures with the goal of delivering an enhanced wheelchair player pathway that offers greater opportuni es for aspiring players. We will iden fy more ways to integrate wheelchair tennis into other tennis ac vi es, and encourage greater integra on of the sport within our member na ons' exis ng na onal tennis strategies and governance structures. This will foster further growth in playing opportuni es, tournament numbers and par cipa on. 2022 ITF Annual Review 32 TOURS AND PLAYER PATHWAY Wheelchair Tennis In 2023 we will develop our elite compe on and regional structures with the goal of delivering an enhanced wheelchair player pathway.

• Cover