Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/1524501
2023 ITF Annual Review 7 The ITF has transformed over the last eight years under our ITF2024+4 strategy and is inves ng more money into the sport than ever before. Our eight strategic pillars guide everything that we do to grow tennis around the world, and to achieve these goals we also recognise the need to adapt to rapid technological change. We are transforming digitally too, changing the ways we operate to keep pace with the demands of our various tennis consumers, rethinking our exis ng business models and establishing new approaches that take advantage of the exci ng opportuni es created by new technologies. Digital transforma on makes us more efficient in carrying out our mission, and crucially it gives us greater connec on. It means we are building a be er understanding of, and greater interac on with, the ITF's diverse audiences across the global tennis landscape. THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL By Kelly Fairweather, ITF Chief Execu ve Officer Digital technology is firmly embedded in all areas our lives and has revolu onised and enriched the live sports experience. The ITF is crea ng new ways for people to engage with our World Cup of Tennis events, Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge, so that we can build our global fanbase. We are also expanding our online tennis community in other areas, in par cular with the con nued roll-out of the ITF World Tennis Number, but also through the expansion of our highly successful ITF Academy educa on pla orm and through IPIN, used by players to enter ITF tournaments. As we grow the ITF's digital channels, we are extending our reach more widely across tennis and engaging directly with our audiences. This new direct-to-consumer approach will help us grow interest and par cipa on in tennis and increase membership subscrip ons for our Na onal Associa ons. It also provides rich data, in turn opening up new commercial and revenue opportuni es for the ITF and its member na ons. You can read more about how we are achieving our digital transforma on on page 59 of this Review, and how we are suppor ng our member na ons to do the same. In our work to grow the game, we are fortunate that tennis is one of just a handful of truly global sports, with new research showing that it is the third most popular for global fan appeal. Tennis benefits from interna onal stars at the elite level – both men and women – who provide fantas c inspira on and role models for anyone who wants to pick up a racket. More than a billion people follow tennis and our research shows that 87.7 million people around the world play. We expect this number to increase when we publish our latest ITF Global Tennis Report later in 2024. These are exci ng mes for the ITF and the development of tennis around the world. We are mee ng the challenge of rapidly-changing technology head on, and are prepared for further digital evolu on, as well as the wider shi s in habits and culture that this evolu on brings.