ITF

SUMMER 2017 WELCOME 2 ITFWORLD SUMMER 2017 I am delighted to introduce the Summer 2017 issue of ITFWorld. There has been much excitement on the court since I last wrote in these pages, led by our four latest Grand Slam singles champions. After facing off in the Australian Open final, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have continued their renaissance in the men's game, adding to their Roland Garros and Wimbledon trophy hauls respectively. Rafa claimed 'La Decima' in Paris and so became the first player in the Open era to win the same major 10 times, while Roger captured his 19th Grand Slam title at the All England Club. Garbine Muguruza, featured on our cover, showed how much she thrives on the big stage by winning her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. In an open field for the women, she was less of a surprise than Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, who amazed everyone with her run to the trophy in Paris. Ostapenko, still only 20, has a bright future ahead of her. The Latvian received support early in her career from the Grand Slam Development Fund as a member of several junior teams and recipient of travel grants. This issue of ITFWorld highlights the invaluable contribution the GSDF has made to our sport, and focuses on its latest initiative, the International Player Grand Slam Grants, which aim to help 16 promising players achieve their dreams of following Ostapenko to the top of the sport. You can read more on page 8. As an indicator of the depth and competitiveness on the ITF Junior Circuit, there has not been a repeat junior Grand Slam singles champion for more than three years. The latest four players to add their names to the honours rolls are Alexei Popyrin of Australia and Whitney Osuigwe of USA, who triumphed at Roland Garros. The Wimbledon winners were Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain and another American girl, Claire Liu. The wheelchair singles titles went to Yui Kamiji and Alfie Hewett in Paris, and Diede de Groot and Stefan Olsson in London. My congratulations go to all the summer Grand Slam champions! In May, China P.R., caused a major upset in the BNP Paribas World Team Cup when their women's team upset Netherlands to hand the nation its first title in the wheelchair team competition. With the Dutch women bidding for their 30th title, it was quite a moment for the Chinese to make their long- promised breakthrough. France successfully defended the men's title, and Great Britain and USA were victorious in quads and juniors respectively. Cape Town hosted the 2017 ITF Young Seniors World and Individual Championships, catering for our youngest Seniors age division, the 30-to-45-year- olds. France was the standout nation, and this magazine carries a feature taking a look at the reasons for French success on the ITF Seniors Circuit. It makes interesting reading and I hope you enjoy it. DELIVERING A BRIGHT FUTURE ITF President David Haggerty with Wimbledon boys champion Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

• Cover