ITF

in reaching its recommendations, and tennis should work together to implement the consequential changes for the good of the sport. IMPROVING PLAYER RELATIONS We were pleased to announce the appointments of Andre Sa and Rennae Stubbs as ITF player relations consultants. Their remit, as part of a new Player Relations department at the ITF, is to enhance the ITF's ties with players, coaches, agents, the tours and tournament organisers. Rennae and Andre are highly respected players who enjoyed long and successful careers on court, and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to these new positions. They will act as on-site representatives and the ITF's point of contact for players on tour, and provide invaluable feedback that will help the ITF enhance Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, the Olympic Games and other ITF events. Enhancing relations with players is a priority for the ITF, and their views are very important to us. With Rennae and Andre ensuring a continuous line of two-way communication between players and the ITF, we will be in a much stronger position to share our vision with them and to hear their views on the future of our sport. WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP In line with the IOC's recent recommendations for boosting gender equality in sport, the ITF has launched a new programme, 'Empowering Female Leaders', to improve gender equality in leadership positions in tennis worldwide through a variety of opportunities. We are delighted that the programme will be supported for the next three years by the Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD), which has provided the ITF with a grant of $375,000 to fund workshops, education courses and professional development for women in sport with the goal of elevating more women to leadership positions within tennis. The opportunities will cover positions such as administrators, coaches, officials and volunteers. Over the course of the next three years the ITF will provide funding for up to five female delegates from different regions to attend the ITF's Conference and AGM. I would like to thank GSD for their contribution to this important initiative. We are already working to appoint more female representatives to our committees and commissions. The AGM will see the inaugural meeting of the ITF's new Women in Sports Committee, chaired by USTA President and ITF Board member Katrina Adams. The Committee will advise and make recommendations to the Board on ways to promote equal opportunities for girls and women to participate in tennis and the leadership of the sport. The ITF is proud to be leading initiatives to ensure equal opportunities for women in tennis. It is important for this message to be heard, as the ITF is only as strong as its leadership around the world. I would like to end this message by drawing your attention to our cover star Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who has been a leader in our sport both on and off court for nearly five decades, and is not only a seven-time Grand Slam singles winner but a champion of diversity. This remarkable Australian, profiled in these pages, is the 2018 recipient of the ITF's Philippe Chatrier Award for her contributions to tennis and her work to improve the lives of indigenous young people. Congratulations Evonne, we look forward to honouring you at the ITF World Champions Dinner in Paris. ■ David Haggerty meets students at the ITF/CAT/TK East Africa Training Centre in Nairobi, Kenya ITFWorld // SPRING 2018 05

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