Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/1547080
Major Events l We Are World Tennis 2026 11 Tennis officials are line umpires, off-court umpires, match assistants, chief umpires, chair umpires, referees and review officials. World Tennis delivers the training for International officials through the Joint Certification Programme (JCP), in partnership with the ATP, WTA and four Grand Slam tournaments. This provides a standard qualification recognised by all the sport's international stakeholders, and a pathway for men and women to progress in an officiating career. Harnessing digital There are currently more than 2,000 officials certified through the JCP. In 2026, World Tennis is delivering 11 officiating schools – two International, two Green Badge and seven White Badge schools – supporting National Associations and ensuring a balanced development pipeline across all levels. We're continuing to improve our educational offer and global consistency, making full use of digital training tools. Modules for the International School (through which candidates can achieve an international certification in their respective roles) are now available on the World Tennis Academy, our digital learning portal. These digital modules complement the in-person training for these courses, and join modules for the lower-level Green and White Badge Schools which were introduced in 2025. We launched a new Rules of Tennis module on the World Tennis Academy in 2026 and an accompanying e-learning course, refreshing the content to make it more engaging and accessible. We also introduced an online refresher module this year for White Badge referees so that all existing certified referees have access to digital training for continuous professional development. Maintaining a high pass rate at officiating schools remains a key objective for World Tennis, and we are supporting this with stronger preparation tools and enhanced learning pathways. Our mentoring programme will continue to support students in their preparation and performance throughout the school process. In 2025, the pass rate of the 274 school participants improved to 80%, from 75% the year before, demonstrating continued progress in the quality of learning and assessment. Grass roots development National schools are the entry point for officials, and these are run by our member nations, who manage certification at this level. They provide the launchpad from which aspiring men and women can move up through the JCP. In support of this, World Tennis provides materials and grassroots guidelines for use in National schools. In 2025, in collaboration with our affiliated Regional Associations and Regional Officiating Officers, we created regional strategies tailored to specific local needs whilst maintaining common global officiating principles. Working with the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) we have streamlined our objectives for educating officials across Asia. The ATF obtained 10 packages from World Tennis for National schools in the region, with the first two taking place in Sri Lanka and Nepal and the remaining to follow as national needs arise. Seven National schools are also taking place in Europe and Africa in 2026, ensuring the profession remains strong at the grassroots around the world. In support of integrity and compliance standards, from 2026 all National officials must be registered on the World Tennis Officiating Portal, ensuring that any official working at World Tennis events is covered by the World Tennis Code for Officials. Review Officials Responding to the expansion of electronic line calling and its impact on officiating, World Tennis introduced three badge levels for Review Officials in 2025, and the first open book test for this role was made available as part of the recertification process. We expect to expand our offering for Review Officials in 2026 with further online modules including one dedicated to video review. Ongoing assessment As part of our ongoing assessment programme, two annual recertification open book tests for White/Green and International officials were published in March. We introduced new evaluation forms for White Badge, Green Badge and National chair umpires plus a dedicated form for Review Officials, to ensure fair, transparent and standardised evaluation across all levels. We deliver the training for International officials through the Joint Certification Programme in partnership with the ATP, WTA and four Grand Slam tournaments. 31 l We Are World Tennis 2026 Officiating