World Tennis

For more than a century, World Tennis (formerly the ITF) has worked to grow the game worldwide and ensure its long-term future as a truly global sport. In partnership with its 214 member nations, the organisation lays the foundations for tennis to flourish by expanding participation, strengthening pathways and creating opportunities for players of all ages and abilities – supporting both the development of the sport and the communities it serves. 

As the global authority and guardian of tennis and its integrity worldwide, World Tennis also defines and upholds the sport’s rules, professional and technical standards, ensuring tennis remains fair, safe, relevant and exciting for future generations. 

At the heart of the global tennis system is a connected, competitive and developmental player pathway. For young professional talent, alongside the Wheelchair and Beach Tennis Tours, the World Tennis Tour – with 1,850 men’s and women’s tournaments annually – is the primary artery through which the world’s best young players progress, providing an essential route from junior tennis to the global stage, no matter which country they are from. 

Through the World Tennis Tour players earn ranking points, build competitive experience and advance into the ATP and WTA Tours and Grand Slam events. The same pathway also provides the route for national selection into World Tennis’ own elite international team competitions, including the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, Wheelchair and Beach World Cups, and qualification routes to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.