Tennis Europe News - February 2021 by Tennis Europe

Issue 148 Fe bru ar y

I 2021

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS Tennis Europe Committees 2020-2023 Honorary Treasurer David Rawlinson (GBR)*

Tennis Europe’s Board of Management has confirmed the appointments to the organisation’s committees for the electoral period 2020-2023. A total of 79 representatives have been approved to participate on the various committees, after nominations were received from 34 of the 50 member nations.

Board Members Nikolina Babic (CRO), Razvan Itu (ROU), Eva-Maria Schneider (GER)*, Evgeniy Zukin (UKR)* *re-elected

A new Board was elected at Tennis Europe’s Annual General Meeting in Crete in October 2020, where Ivo Kaderka became the first Czech President of the organisation. Five members were re-elected to serve another term and were joined by three new representatives. With four male and four female members, Tennis Europe achieved its objective of equal gender representation at the highest level of management for the first time.

The full composition of each committee is as follows:

JUNIOR TENNIS COMMITTEE Chaired by Razvan Itu (ROU) Kenneth Bergbom (SWE), Vincent Bonnetain (FRA), Keith Carder (GBR), Valentin Dimov (BUL), Spyridon Doulgerakis (GRE), Alaattin Bora Gerceker (TUR), Olga Gihareva (RUS), Rita Grande (ITA), Vladimir Habas (SVK), Patrick Kemps (NED), Suzana Knezevic (CRO), Oleksandr Kulyk (UKR), Dimitris Leifman (ISR), Pedro Lobao (POR), Marion Maruska (AUT), Cristian Miholca (ROU), Elizaveta Negru (MDA), Virginija Paliukaite (LTU), Neos Pantelakis (CYP), Marko Por (SLO), Dariusz Saletra (POL), Jan Stoces (CZE), Jordi Tamayo de Winne (ESP), Mirco Westphal (GER), Konstantin Zasjadko (LAT).

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT President Ivo Kaderka (CZE) Vice Presidents Luisanna Fodde (ITA)* Christiane Jolissaint (SUI)* Spyros Zannias (GRE)

Inside this issue Committees 2020-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WTA Future Stars partners with Tennis Europe . . . . . . . . . . .

Tennis Europe & Rafa Nadal Academy to stage 12 & Under event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COVID-19: European Tennis Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COVID-19 and the Tennis Europe Junior Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Understanding the needs of National Tennis Associations . .

ITF Senior Circuit reveals plans for 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Service Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

European Rankings and Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

Tennis Europe Committees 2020-2023 DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Chaired by Christiane Jolissaint (SUI) Daniel Angelov (BUL), Petar Barbaros (CRO), Yoram Baron (ISR), James Cooney (IRL), Virginia Di Caterino (ITA), Shkelzen Domi (KOS), Emmanuelle Ducrot (FRA), Tamas Hamori (HUN), Maryna Ibraimova (UKR), Aleksander Juergens (EST), Katerina Kramperova (CZE), Gevork Karamanoukian (ARM), Maxim Kozin (RUS), Gregor Krusic (SLO), Demetris Leontis (CYP), Sandi Procter (GBR), Teemu Purho (FIN), Piotr Unierzyski (POL), Alex Zitrides (GRE), Milena Zubkova (TUR).

PRO TENNIS & OFFICIATING COMMITTEE Chaired by Nikolina Babic (CRO) Lina Berankyte-Astrauskiene (LTU), Andrejs Bukins (LAT), Mark Camilleri (MLT), Galip Ozgur Erguden (TUR), Vojtech Flegl (CZE), Katerina Guenova-Chergova (BUL), Craig Haworth (GBR), Allar Hint (EST), Tomasz Iwanski (POL), Jelena Kostanic (CRO), Rui Machado (POR), Gabriel Moraru (ROU), Tzipora Obziler Hirsh (ISR), Francois Pareau (FRA),

Pietro Pennisi (ITA), Blaz Anze Pipan (SLO), Antonio Prat Barasoain (ESP), Dimitris Stamatiadis (GRE), Robert Van Der Drift (NED), Peter Von Dach (SUI), Andrey Zimin (RUS).

SENIOR TENNIS COMMITTEE Chaired by Spyros Zannias (GRE) Tamas Bibok (HUN), Aneta Budzalek (POL), Marco Dede (ITA), Kristen Fari (NOR), Georgi Krumov (BUL), Peter Nader (AUT), Sabine Schmitz (GER), Petros Skagias (GRE), Levent Turan (TUR), Dmitry Vikharev (RUS), Christine Windmill (GBR), Luka Zalaznik (SLO).

PADEL TASKFORCE Chaired by Luisanna Fodde (ITA) Phillipe Cerfont (BEL), Vasco Costa (POR), Sylvie Hette Delaspre (FRA), Richard Fahey (IRL), Gijs Kooken (BEL), Tom Murray (GBR), Valentijn Pattyn (BEL), Henrik Thorsoe Pedersen (DEN), Luca Santilli (ITF), Henk Schut (NED), Corrine Vanier (FRA), Athanasios Zannias (GRE).

Tennis Europe to partner with WTA Future Stars programme Thanks to a new agreement between Tennis Europe and the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), this year’s top European players will be invited to showcase their talents at the WTA Future Stars event, which will be played alongside the season-ending Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, China. Four top players from each of the 14 and 16 & Under age groups of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour will qualify to compete at the event against leading players from other regions. “WTA Future Stars began as a grassroots initiative in 2014 and has expanded continuously in subsequent years” said

Melissa Pine, WTA Vice President, Global Program Development. “Now also shining a spotlight on high performance players from around the globe, the program provides once-in-a-lifetime development and mentorship opportunities from the stars of the WTA. We are delighted to work closely with Tennis Europe to empower the next generation of young girls in the region.” While in Shenzhen, the young athletes will have the opportunity to see first-hand the WTA’s top players in action and to benefit from the advice of the WTA Future Stars Legends and Ambassadors. With matches played on the same courts as the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, the event offers big match experience and the chance to play on the same stage as the Top 8 female players in the world. Tennis Europe President Ivo Kaderka comments: “As a regional association of the sport’s governing body, the ITF, our focus is to support European talents on their way to becoming professional players. Together with the ITF, we are implementing important enhancements to the Player Pathways for all top juniors. This additional opportunity provided by the WTA gives extra unique opportunities to a select group of players, and we are very thankful for both partnerships.”

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Tennis Europe and Rafa Nadal Academy to stage new event An exciting new event will make its debut on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour calendar in 2021, when the inaugural 12 & Under Festival is held at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Spain. Designed to celebrate and reward the best-performing players of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s youngest age category, the 12 & Under Festival will be an invitational event for national squads of European boys and girls. The 32-player draws will consist of champions from Category 1 tournaments throughout the season and players will also pair up for a doubles competition. The unique format of the singles event will see the winners of eight round robin groups advance to the quarterfinals, ensuring optimal match play for all participants.

The event will take place from 15th – 20th November on the hard courts of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar. Situated in the Mallorcan home town of the 20-time Grand Slam champion and former Tennis Europe Junior Masters winner, the Academy has hosted many high-calibre international events, including ATP Challenger and ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments. Tennis Europe President Ivo Kaderka said, “This event is incredibly special for us, and is sure to be a highlight of the season for some of our most promising 12 & Under players. I would like to thank the Spanish Tennis Federation and the Rafa Nadal Academy for their cooperation, and we look forward to working together to provide these young talents with a unique tournament experience at an inspirational venue.” Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar Director Toni Nadal spoke of his excitement at hosting this tournament in Manacor. “At the Academy we’re really thrilled to host this event and to be able to enjoy the talent of the best players in the world in the 12 & Under category. We are sure that this synergy with Tennis Europe will be a huge success and that this tournament will be world class. In addition, these players will be able to enjoy a unique experience thanks to the new facilities we’ll be opening at the Academy in 2021, including new indoor and outdoor courts and a medical-services, physiotherapy, nutrition and fitness building”.

COVID-19: European Tennis Updates In recent weeks, Tennis Europe has been publishing daily updates on how the latest developments of the pandemic is affecting the tennis community across the region. Users can consult the list of 50 member nations to find links to national restrictions and playing guidelines, and other notes from national associations. The page also includes links to ITF and Tennis Europe competition guidelines, and other useful sources of information. Tennis Europe believes that our sport is naturally socially distanced and gives players of all ages a chance to safely exercise when played responsibly. Players in all nations should first check with their national federations and observe the recommended safety guidelines and local restrictions before taking to the court.

For all the latest information, click here TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

COVID-19 and the Tennis Europe Junior Tour It’s fair to say that the Tennis Europe Junior Tour had its share of ups and downs over the last year. The 30th anniversary season of the world’s leading competitive platform for tennis players between the ages of 10 and 16 began promisingly in January 2020. The top players quickly made a big impression; Martin Landaluce (ESP) and Victoria Milanova (RUS) skated to victory at the first ever ‘Super Category’ event, the ‘One SGM Christmas Cup’ in Russia. Oleksandr Ponomar (UKR) and Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) were in close pursuit at the top of the rankings, securing wins at ‘Les Petits As’ in France. Following a successful Winter Cups by HEAD event that saw a record 195 national teams in action, Landaluce and Fruhvirtova once again found themselves on the podium, claiming their second major titles of the season at the ‘Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris’ in Stockholm. Meanwhile, messages were flooding in from professional players eager to share their memories of their time on the Tour and give advice to the class of 2020. Roger Federer, Simona Halep, Novak Djokovic, Karolina Pliskova and many more recalled some of their earliest successes on an international stage. Tennis Europe also revealed that the Tour’s season-ending highlight, the Junior Masters, would move to a prestigious new home in Monaco, and the Race to Monte-Carlo began. And then the pandemic came. On Thursday March 14th, when Marko Maksimovic won the last point of the boys’ doubles final at the Development

Championships in Antalya, Turkey, nobody could have imagined that it would be the last ball to be struck on the Tour for almost six months. Players and coaches scrambled to get back to their home countries as Europe locked down and the tennis community slowly came to terms with the prospect of an unprecedented summer without competition, or – for many - even the chance to practise. Now working remotely, national, regional and international federations continued to operate behind the scenes, preparing for an eventual re-start. Special attempts were made to protect some of the Junior Tour’s most important and traditional events, such as the European Junior Championships, exploring different dates and formats, but it wasn’t to be. Under the responsibility of the Head of Junior Tennis Stephanie Kamberi, and in consultation with the ITF, the Junior Department exhaustively prepared detailed new health and safety protocols for competitions to be held in the new COVID world. During the downtime, a total of 330 tournaments were cancelled or postponed, disrupting what was set to be a record-breaking summer of playing opportunities for Europe’s young tennis talents. New rankings parameters were established, to ensure that anyone who could not play, or preferred not to play, would not be unduly penalised. When the Junior Tour eventually sprang back into action on August 31st, events were held under quite different conditions than anyone could ever have anticipated. From the

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

COVID-19 and the Tennis Europe Junior Tour re-start until the end of 2020, 116 tournaments were played, and only 158 of the scheduled 410 events in 2020 were held. These numbers are significant, considering the amount of extra work – not to mention financial costs – incurred by tournament directors who must adhere to the new protocols. Since its founding in 1990, and never more so than in 2020, the success of the Tour has been dependent not only on the staff of Tennis Europe and its national tennis federations, but also on the dedication of thousands of tournament organisers, volunteers, players, parents, coaches and officials. As we begin another season, Tennis Europe would like to pay tribute to the extraordinary efforts made by everyone involved in 2020 and acknowledge the difficult task of planning a more stable year of tennis in 2021. Indeed, 17 events scheduled in January and February have already been postponed or cancelled. If you’ve been off the Tour recently but are thinking of competing later this year, here’s a round-up of what you need to know…

The Junior Tour

• Category 1 and Super Category events are currently due to return from 1st March, 2021.

• The Düren Junior Tennis Cup in Germany will take place from 26th July-1st August. Dates for the Maia Jovem Internacional in Portugal will be confirmed soon.

Safety Protocols

All events must comply with strict new safety protocols, including: • Daily temperature screening for all individuals on-site. • COVID-19 officer appointed by Tournament Organiser. • Face coverings mandatory while off-court.

• Until then, only Category 2 and 3 events are being held.

• Strict sanitary guidelines.

• The dates are under constant review and may change.

• Social distancing measures.

• 12 & Under events (Category 2 only) returned from 1st January 2021.

• No spectators.

• Due to ongoing travel restrictions and the closures of indoor venues in many countries, the 2021 Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD was cancelled. • The 2021 European Summer Cups will go ahead as usual in a six-week period from June to August. • The 2021 calendar is being released at periodic intervals. Events for January to April are now online. Please check back regularly as new events can be added or removed.

Super Category Events

• The first ‘Super Category’ event of the season, the Khimki Cup (RUS) has been postponed until 26th April2nd May. • Organisers have confirmed that the Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris in Stockholm (SWE) will not take place in 2021, but will return next year. • ‘Les Petits As’ will move to a new date in September 2021.

• Maximum one accompanying person per player.

Rankings

• In line with other circuits, the Tennis Europe Junior Ranking has been extended to a 2-year time frame. Results earned between 18 March 2019 and 15 March 2020 (i.e. 52 weeks) are protected and will have their ranking drop date extended by 52 weeks. • The Race Rankings were used to determine the 2020 Year-End rankings. • The Race to Monte Carlo will be back in March along with the resumption of larger events.

IPIN & Entries

• IPINs can now be renewed for 2021. The IPIN is valid for 52 weeks from the date of purchase. • Players can now also sign into events online, avoiding the need to be on site at tournaments on non-playing days.

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

Understanding the needs of National Tennis Associations 49 European national tennis federations have participated in a survey devised to provide a snapshot of the concerns faced by Tennis Europe’s member nations. The survey was conducted in early 2020, just before the COVID pandemic, and reflects the opinions of Presidents and General Secretaries. Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl shared the findings with delegates at the recent Annual General Meeting. We asked him how the results can be interpreted for the benefit of these member nations. What were the motivations behind the European Tennis Survey? We believe in the value of data and in supporting our member nations with recommendations, best practice examples and guidance for their work. We also feel very strongly that as a result of a fragmented tennis ecosystem, the extremely important work done by volunteers and executives at national associations is often overlooked and undervalued. These are the reasons for the survey, which was carried out by our research partner, Sports Marketing Surveys*. What are the main concerns of national tennis federations? The daily activities that are performed by the staff of the national federations range from grass roots level all the way up to the professional tours. And Tennis Europe is arguably the most diverse of all ITF regional associations, including Grand Slam nations like France and Great Britain and also tiny states such as Andorra or Liechtenstein. But the one thing all national federations have in common is the drive to elevate participation in the sport. According to our respondents, the three most effective tools to encourage participation in tennis clubs are: • Initiatives by clubs and local coaches (65%) • National tennis hero (57%) • Tennis on TV (55%) What were the most important findings of the survey? In times of Social Media and e-Sports, it is important to know the main obstacles for choosing tennis and starting the sport. The three main challenges for the sport are: • Availability indoor courts (65%) • Popularity of other sports (56%) • Cost of court hire (38%) Of the programs carried out by national federations, which are seen to have the greatest impact on the sport? The three initiatives with the greatest impact are: • Tennis programs for kids aged 10 & Under (88%) • Promoting tennis in Schools (82%) • Free beginners’ lessons in local clubs (55%)

How do national tennis federations in Europe get their money? The ITF and Tennis Europe have very good support programs in place to develop member nations. The income from Davis Cup by Rakuten and Billie Jean King Cup ties was also mentioned, but the three income sources of the highest importance are: • Government support (39%) • Sponsorship (23%) • Membership Fees (13%) How has sponsorship changed in recent years? The ways in which sponsors want to co-operate, and in which federations can service them and offer them exposure in return, are constantly evolving: • Social media has become the most important part of activation (44%) • Sponsors monitor the return on investment more than ever (42%) • Sponsors want more for less money (27%) What types of brands are most likely to sponsor tennis federations in Europe? • Sports equipment companies (52%) • Banking (46%) • Automotive (40%) What role does marketing play at tennis federations? More than half of our member nations have national marketing campaigns to increase tennis participation, so marketing plays a big role in their daily work. These campaigns are aimed at: • Tennis players of all ages (55%) • Children under 10 years (45%) • Teenagers (17%) This survey was conducted just before the main effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt. How do you expect the situation to have changed in recent months? Inevitably, all nations suffer financially in times like these, but we think that there is room for optimism in the long term. It is universally agreed that tennis is one of the few sports that can be played safely right now, and many countries are reporting increased demand for courts and equipment in response. That’s one of the reasons our new President and Board of Management will act to unite European tennis and work together for our common goals. * Sports Marketing Surveys has been Tennis Europe’s official partner for almost two decades and regularly undertakes research on behalf of the European tennis family, including the triennial ‘European Tennis Report’ and the ‘Next Generation’ player analysis.

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

ITF Seniors Circuit reveals plans for 2021 2021 ITF Seniors Tournament Structure

2021 is set to be a landmark year for the Seniors Circuit. The ITF has announced a series of measures designed to make seniors tennis the world’s leading sport in terms of participation for players aged 35 and over.

World Championships

68% of Seniors Circuit events globally were held in Europe in 2019 (a total of 341 tournaments), and the new innovations are also designed to have a positive impact on the player experience for the 16,000 annual competitors from Europe. A new tournament grading structure will be implemented, replacing the current Grade A to Grade 4 events. Instead, tournaments will be given a number ranking from 100 to 1000, representing the ranking points available to the winner. The ITF Seniors 1000 events will be a new category aimed at elite players in each age group. These events will offer a greater value of ranking points, relative to the points available at the World Championships, which remain the highlight of the season and the highest grade on the circuit. Four further grades will ensure better competition for players of different standards. Entry-level tournaments (ITF Seniors 100) are designed to provide more competitive opportunities and appropriate tournament formats for

ITF Seniors 1000 ITF Seniors 700 ITF Seniors 400 ITF Seniors 200 ITF Seniors 100

the huge number of players who already compete, while also attracting new tournaments and players to the circuit. Tournaments set to take place from January to June 2021 will receive their new grading by 31st July, 2020. The new ranking tables will be implemented in 2021. A Tournament Recognition Scheme will also be introduced to help players identify the events with best levels of player satisfaction. These will be highlighted on the ITF Seniors calendar. For full information, please visit the ITF site

FAST FACTS Coronavirus and a need to find socially distanced activities may be promoting increased tennis participation. In the US for example, 10.1% of the population played tennis between April and June 2020, up from 6.7% in 2019.

38% of UK tennis players describe cycling as one of their hobbies.

In the UK, tennis players are more likely than non-tennis players to describe the sport as “challenging”. Did you know the unusual connection between the only two Frenchmen to beat Stan Wawrinka at Roland-Garros? Their names are anagrams. Tsonga and Gaston.

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Tournament Director competition winners revealed Prizes have been awarded to the winners of the 2019 HEAD Ball Sweepstake. All tournaments that use the balls of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s Recommended Ball Partner, HEAD, are entered to a prize draw. The winner of the first prize for 2019 was Chambon-surLignon (FRA) Tournament Director André Viallon, who will receive two tickets to attend a day’s play on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros 2021.

Additional prizes go to Albi Sulo, Director of the Tirana Open (ALB), who receives Amazon vouchers, and Montreaux International (SUI) Directors Yannick Fattebert and Benjamin Dracos, who will receive a HEAD T.I.P. mini.tennis kit. Winners have also been announced for the annual Junior Tour branding competition, which recognises the work done by tournament organisers to promote their events using Tennis Europe’s exclusive promo tools. First prize recipient Antonio Baglivo of the 12 & Under Maglie tournament (ITA) will receive a trip to Roland Garros 2021. HEAD racquets and bags are awarded to the runners-up, Kinga Szynklarz of the Lechia Tennis Cup in Gdansk (POL), and Nikola Zivkovic of the Nis Open (SRB). Congratulations to all the winners.

Notes from Tennis Europe Dietloff von Arnim has been elected as President of the German Tennis Federation (DTB). The first 2021 issue of the European Racquet Stringers Association (ESRA) magazine Pro Stringer is now online

Contact Us TENNIS EUROPE Zur Gempenfluh 36 CH-4059, Basel Switzerland Tel: +41 61 335 9040 Fax: +41 61 331 7253 Email: contactus@tenniseurope.org Web: www.TennisEurope.org To subscribe to Tennis Europe News, simply send an email to contactus@tenniseurope.org.

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New dates announced for 2021 Annual General Meeting The Luxembourg Tennis Federation will host the 2021 Tennis Europe Annual General Meeting during the weekend of 23-25 September. The new dates follow consultation with member nations, who unanimously agreed to a oneoff override of the constitution, allowing Tennis Europe to reschedule the event from its traditional date in March to a spot in the second half of the year.

Organisers hope that the later scheduling will encourage greater on-side attendance at the meeting, pandemic conditions permitting. The meeting returns to Luxembourg for the first time since 1997 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Luxembourg Tennis Federation.

Mouratoglou Tennis Centre opens in Dubai Tennis Europe’s official academy partner, the Mouratoglou Academy, has begun an ambitious plan of international expansion by opening the first Mouratoglou Tennis Centre in Dubai. Mouratoglou’s goal is to provide the same passion, quality of teaching, professionalism and work ethic at the Mouratoglou Tennis Center in Dubai, as it has upheld at the Mouratoglou Academy on the French Riviera. The Mouratoglou coaches, all trained with the Mouratoglou methodology, will offer a variety of programs addressed to Dubai residents and resort guests. These programs are based on the same methodology and philosophy of personalisation, that is used for professionals such as Serena Williams, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Coco Gauff, and is praised internationally for its success. The Mouratoglou Tennis Center Jumeirah will welcome professional tennis players between tournaments, who will make the most of playing in exceptional facilities with the added benefit of perennial sunshine. The centre’s high-end facilities and optimal training environment makes it an attractive location for players preparing for competition. Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Madinat Jumeirah are already the destination of choice for some of the world’s best tennis players, such as Roger Feder-

er, who regularly use the courts during the off-season in preparation for the Australian Open. 2019 US Open Champion Bianca Andreescu, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Kristina Mladenovic and Fiona Ferro were amongst the first players to sample the facilities en route to the 2021 Australian Open. Without any doubt, this first centre will become the benchmark for high-level tennis training in the Middle East, the same way the Mouratoglou Academy has been in leading the elite tennis industry in Europe for over 20 years and shaping some of the world’s most promising talents.

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Service Line... stories you may have missed EVENTS The ITF has unveiled changes for the 2021 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, to be held in Madrid, Spain. The event will take place over 11 days, from 25th November – 5th December. Up to two other European cities will join Madrid as hosts for the preliminary rounds, with two round-robin groups competing at each venue. The ITF and Kosmos have also confirmed that the number of teams at the final rounds will be reduced from 18 to 16 from 2022. The Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas play-offs originally scheduled for February have been moved to the week of 16-17 April, and will now coincide with the final rounds, which will be held in Budapest, Hungary. European nations are involved in all but one of the play-off ties (host nations listed first): Poland vs. Brazil, Great Britain vs. Mexico, Serbia vs. Canada, Latvia vs. India, Japan vs. Ukraine, Romania vs. Italy, Argentina vs. Kazakhstan, Netherlands vs. China. Meanwhile, the competition’s Europe/Africa Group III regional qualifying event will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from 15-19 June, where 27 nations will be in action. The city of Belgrade in Serbia will host an ATP event in 2021, taking over from Budapest. Andy Murray will return to action at the ATP Challenger event in Biella in the week of February 15th.

SPONSORSHIP The ITF has announced a three-year extension of its Wheelchair Tennis partnership with NEC, title sponsor of the season-ending Wheelchair Singles Masters. 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the NEC’s initial sponsorship of the sport, which led to the creation of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour in 1992.

Lavazza, the popular Italian coffee brand, will be a major sponsor the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Banco Sabadell has extended its title sponsorship of the ATP Barcelona Open for the 2021 edition. Having cancelled in 2020, local authorities have committed to ensuring the event goes ahead in some form this April.

MEDIA TV4 Media has acquired exclusive rights to broadcast all WTA events in Finland, Norway and Sweden. Dutch TV provider Ziggo has announced the creation of a dedicated tennis channel having secured a three-year deal with exclusive rights to broadcast all ATP events. Greek broadcaster Cosmote has extended its ATP rights for another three years and will continue its extensive coverage of all ATP events. Plataforma Canal Plus has agreed an exclusive six-year deal for rights to 55 WTA tournaments, buoyed by the popularity of the newest Grand Slam champion, Iga Swiatek.

MILESTONES Rafael Nadal recently became just the third man ever to spend 800 weeks in the Top 10, and the first to manage the feat in consecutive weeks. Simona Halep has notched up seven consecutive years (346 weeks) in the Top 10. The Italian Tennis Federation has confirmed that Filippo Volandri will take over as the country’s Davis Cup captain.

Naomi Osaka has become a brand ambassador for luxury brands Louis Vuitton and TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer has also secured a role as the Lawn Tennis Association’s luxury timekeeper. The LTA has also signed a three-year deal with Dunlop, who will provide the official stringing service for the busy programme of summer tournaments. Meanwhile, the LTA has named car sales website Cinch as the new title sponsor of the ATP Queen’s Club Championships. TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

NEW SUMMER NEW STYLE The new Summer 21 collection, NcNVYNOYR `\\[ \[ HEAD.com

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rankings - Overall Tennis Europe’s junior ranking system is devised to give a unified overall list that shows the relative strengths of all players, regardless of where they achieved their results or picked up points. A player’s overall total includes points from Tennis Europe Junior Tour 16 and 14 & Under events, plus points earned by players in these age categories who participate in ITF Junior Circuit and professional tournaments, all of which are weighted according to their relative strengths. The 14 &

Overall Boys’ Ranking Rank

Under ranking is still available separately (see next page), as well as being integrated to these overall rankings. For more information on the rankings system, check out the Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rules and Regulations at www.TennisEurope.org. The ‘Race to the Masters’ rankings are also available separately, and include points earned exclusively at Tennis Europe Junior Tour events. Rankings below are as of Tuesday 26th January, 2021.

Overall Girls’ Ranking

Name

Nat.

Points

Rank

Juncheng Shang

CHN

1618

Vojtech Petr

CZE

03 NEW Jakub Mensik

Nat.

Points

Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva AND

4898

1533

Alexandra Eala

PHI

4312

CZE

1331

Linda Fruhvirtova

CZE

2498

04 NEW Mihai Alexandru Coman

ROU

1226

04 NEW Sofia Costoulas

BEL

2249

05 NEW Dino Prizmic

CRO

1034

05 NEW Petra Marcinko

CRO

2090

06 NEW Maxim Zhukov

RUS

983

06 NEW Nikola Bartunkova

CZE

1719

07 NEW Iliyan Radulov

BUL

955

07 NEW Elena Pridankina

RUS

1583

08 NEW Antoine Ghibaudo

FRA

924

08 NEW Yaroslava Bartashevich

RUS

1412

09 NEW Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez

MEX

914

09 NEW Sara Bejlek

CZE

1388

10 NEW Kilian Feldbausch

SUI

901

10 NEW Lucie Havlickova

CZE

1358

Jakub Mensik (CZE).

Name

Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (AND).

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rankings - 14 & Under Tennis Europe’s junior ranking system is devised to give a unified overall list that shows the relative strengths of all players, regardless of where they achieved their results or picked up points. A player’s overall total includes points from Tennis Europe Junior Tour 16 and 14 & Under events, plus points earned by players in these age categories who participate in ITF Junior Circuit and professional tournaments, all of which are weighted according to their relative strengths. The 14 &

14 & Under Boys Rank

Name

Under ranking is still available separately, as well as being integrated to the overall rankings. For more information on the rankings system, check out the Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rules and Regulations at www.TennisEurope.org. The ‘Race to the Masters’ rankings are also available separately, and include points earned exclusively at Tennis Europe Junior Tour events. Rankings below are as of Tuesday 26th January, 2021.

14 & Under Girls Nat.

Points

01 NEW Timofei Derepasko

RUS

520

02 NEW Ognjen Milic

SRB

03 NEW Egor Pleshivtsev

Rank

Nat.

Points

01 NEW Yoana Konstantinova

BUL

649

495

02 NEW Rositsa Dencheva

BUL

645

RUS

438

03 NEW Brenda Fruhvirtova

CZE

635

04 NEW Gabriel Ghetu

ROU

396

RUS

616

05 NEW Ilya Maltsev

RUS

375

05 NEW Hephzibah Oluwadare

GBR

570

06 NEW Tim Vaisman

ISR

365

06 NEW Yelyzaveta Kotliar

UKR

552

07 NEW Jan Kumstat

RUS

365

07 NEW Mirra Andreeva

RUS

550

08 NEW Dawid Lewandowski

POL

340

08 NEW Mathilde Ngijol Carre

FRA

501

09 NEW Federico Cina

ITA

327

09 NEW Shanice Roignot

FRA

490

10 NEW Maxim Mrva

CZE

306

10 NEW Mariia Masiianskaia

RUS

490

Timofei Derepasko (RUS).

Name

Alina Korneeva

Yoana Konstantinova (BUL).

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

European Tennis Rankings - Men & Women European Men

European Women

Name

Nat.

Points

Rank

Name

Nat.

Points

Novak Djokovic

SRB

12030

Simona Halep

ROU

7255

Rafael Nadal

ESP

9850

Elina Svitolina

UKR

5260

Dominic Thiem

AUT

9125

Karolina Pliskova

CZE

5205

Daniil Medvedev

RUS

8470

Aryna Sabalenka

BLR

4580

Roger Federer

SUI

6630

Petra Kvitova

CZE

4516

Stefanos Tsitsipas

GRE

5940

Kiki Bertens

NED

4505

Alexander Zverev

GER

5615

Belinda Bencic

SUI

4010

Andrey Rublev

RUS

4164

08 NEW Victoria Azarenka

BLR

3426

Matteo Berrettini

ITA

3120

Johanna Konta

GBR

3152

Gael Monfils

FRA

2860

GarbiÃ±e Muguruza

ESP

3070

Roberto Bautista Agut

ESP

2710

11 NEW Iga Swiatek

POL

2960

David Goffin

BEL

2600

Petra Martic

CRO

2850

Pablo Carreno Busta

ESP

2580

Elise Mertens

BEL

2650

Fabio Fognini

ITA

2420

Marketa Vondrousova

CZE

2538

Stan Wawrinka

SUI

2365

Maria Sakkari

GRE

2490

Grigor Dimitrov

BUL

2260

Anett Kontaveit

EST

2330

Karen Khachanov

RUS

2245

Angelique Kerber

GER

2271

CRO

1855

Karolina Muchova

CZE

2065

SRB

1785

Dayana Yastremska

UKR

1925

NOR

1739

Donna Vekic

CRO

1880

Rank

18 NEW Borna Coric 19

Dusan Lajovic

20 NEW Casper Ruud

Borna Coric (CRO).

Casper Ruud (NOR).

Iga Swiatek (POL).

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Results 2020 Tennis Europe Junior Tour - 14 & Under Week

Venue

01 Sep

Pirogovskiy (RUS)

01 Sep 01 Sep 01 Sep

Podgorica (MNE) Jelgava (LAT) Nastola (FIN)

Category 3 3 3 3

01 Sep

Klosters (SUI)

01 Sep

San Marino (SMR)

01 Sep

Szczawno Zdroj (POL)

01 Sep

Jablonec Nad Nisou (CZE)

01 Sep

Subotica (SRB)

01 Sep

Athens (GRE)

01 Sep 01 Sep 01 Sep 08 Sep

Waiblingen (GER) Koper (SLO) Szekesfehervar (HUN) Balashikha (RUS)

2 3 3 3

08 Sep

Oberpullendorf (AUT)

08 Sep

Jaffa (ISR)

08 Sep

Pescara (ITA)

08 Sep

Rakovnik (CZE)

08 Sep

Bergeijk (NED)

08 Sep

Viljandi (EST)

08 Sep 08 Sep 08 Sep 15 Sep

Beograd (SRB) Oslo (NOR) Svilengrad (BUL) Cacak (SRB)

3 3 3 2

Winner

Runner-Up

Score

Doubles winners

A Aiukhanov (RUS)

D Stepanov (RUS)

75 64

Asylkozhaev/Ivenin (RUS)

A Korneeva (RUS)

D Shadchneva (RUS)

76 62

Andreeva/Korneeva (RUS)

A Lyapshin (GER)

T Milovanov (UKR)

75 61

Dragovic/Katana (MNE)

A F Oana (ROU)

M Teodorescu (ROU)

63 62

Oana/ Teodorescu (ROU)

S Audrins (LAT)

A Zagars (LAT)

60 16 63

Loit/Torn (EST)

M Markevica (LAT)

A Lachinova (LAT)

64 62

Cechanaviciute (LTU)/Ozola (LAT)

F Alopaeus (FIN)

L Lagerbohm (FIN)

63 64

Alopaeus/Paldanius (FIN)

D Bibanina (RUS)

N Papshev (FIN)

61 63

Sparnina (LAT)/Virtanen (FIN)

S Pidoux (SUI)

J Schwaerzler (AUT)

75 63

Gaillard/Witschi (SUI)

F Kremerskothen (GER)

K Paul (SUI)

75 75

Hartel/Stusek (GER)

O Bonding (GBR)

F Avdeev (RUS)

62 76

Bonding (GBR)/Ducruet (FRA)

I Lettieri (GER)

A Van Riesen (GER)

62 62

Lettieri/Van Riesen (GER)

J Jedrzejczak (POL)

M Andrzejczak (POL)

61 62

Jedrzejczak/Migdalski (POL)

S Zhiyenbayeva (GER)

K Golda (POL)

63 61

Mackiewicz/Podhajecka (POL)

D Lewandowski (POL)

V Vales (CZE)

63 16 63

Kucera/Vales (CZE)

A Kovackova (CZE)

L Navrรกtilovรก (CZE)

64 57 62

Bervid/Valdmannova (CZE)

M Maksimovic (BIH)

N Lulic (SRB)

61 60

Jovic/Lulic (SRB)

I Jankovic (SRB)

A Savkovic (SRB)

46 62 75

Linhartova (CZE)/Nesterovic (GER)

C Glavas (GRE)

N Bakirtzis (GRE)

63 64

Bakirtzis/Loizas (GRE)

A Panagiotidou (GRE)

A Grigoriadou (GRE)

62 1-0 Ret. Bekker/Korpanec Davies (GBR)

T Berkieta (POL)

N Barsukov (GER)

63 60

Stenzer/Yigin (GER)

V Steiner (GER)

D Okur (NED)

62 62

Matuseviciute/Pettersson (SWE)

L Videnovic (SLO)

M Mikovic (SLO)

75 60

Marjanovic (SLO)/Suboch (RUS)

S Messenlechner (AUT)

A T Pracek (SLO)

63 62

Lederer/Messenlechner (AUT)

K Kincses (HUN)

L Gyori (HUN)

06 75 62

Gyori/Kincses (HUN)

T Sramkova (SVK)

E Mravcova (SVK)

64 64

Biro/Kis Czako (HUN)

D Burtsev (RUS)

A Asylkozhaev (RUS)

62 63

Gretskiy/Stepanov (RUS)

M Andreeva (RUS)

A Bulatova (RUS)

63 63

Mamedova/Starkova (RUS)

P Brunclik (CZE)

J Kumstat (CZE)

75 61

Hipfl/Schwaerzler (AUT)

L Hradecka (SVK)

K Heiderova (CZE)

63 63

Heiderova (CZE)/Hradecka (SVK)

B Chetewy (ISR)

T Vaisman (ISR)

60 76

Shumilov/Vaisman (ISR)

S Cohen (ISR)

D Goldstein (ISR)

61 62

Fadida/Goldstein (ISR)

A Battiston (ITA)

L Angelini (ITA)

36 63 61

Commisso/Pergola (ITA)

N Basiletti (ITA)

K Efremova (ITA)

64 62

Basiletti/Ercoli (ITA)

D Petak (CZE)

D Vlcek (CZE)

75 62

Froemel/Petak (CZE)

A Kovackova (CZE)

A Sucha (CZE)

61 61

Jandova/Sucha (CZE)

M Balciunas (NED)

M Rottgering (NED)

75 64

Bakker/Mantel (NED)

D Okur (NED)

L Ebeling Koning (NED)

63 67 62

De Boer/Ebeling Koning (NED)

S Hiiesalu (EST)

I H Raudkivi (EST)

63 63

Raudkivi/Torn (EST)

L Vladson (LTU)

O Panasa (LAT)

62 61

Lapimaa (EST)/Panasa (LAT)

M Maksimovic (BIH)

O Milic (SRB)

63 61

Pieleanu/Tibelea (ROU)

M Masiianskaia (RUS)

K Matushkina (RUS)

62 62

Markovic (SRB)/Matushkina (RUS)

N Budkov Kjaer (NOR)

F Oscarsson (NOR)

36 63 61

Budkov Kjaer/Oscarsson (NOR)

C Maeland (NOR)

C Ruud (NOR)

46 64 62

Korseth/Ruud (NOR)

G Georgiev (BUL)

P Marinov (BUL)

36 64 64

Georgiev/Marinov (BUL)

R Dencheva (BUL)

M Rogacheva (BUL)

60 62

Dencheva/Ivanova (BUL)

O Milic (SRB)

A Daskalovic (SRB)

63 64

Jovic/Lulic (SRB)

Y Konstantinova (BUL)

A Savkovic (SRB)

62 60

Milosevic/Popovski (SRB)

TENNIS EUROPE NEWS

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Results 2020 Tennis Europe Junior Tour - 14 & Under Week

Venue

15 Sep

Akko (ISR)

15 Sep 15 Sep 15 Sep