Tennis Europe News - Issue 146 by Tennis Europe

Issue 146 D e ce mber

I 2019

New President’s Fund

Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev has personally negotiated 280,000 CHF of new sponsorship income in recent months, a proportion of which has been used

to create a new ‘President’s Fund’, which will financially support member nations. The Fund is a consequence of the successful implementation of Tennis Europe’s

Inside this issue Tennis Europe & HEAD Sportswear join forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Juniors & Pro Conference in Milan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03 Top Executives’ Meeting in Madrid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03 Tennis Europe Junior Tour Players of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 Tennis Europe Junior Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 Tennis Europe Junior Tour reveals 2020 plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Winter Cups Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Upgraded promo toolkit for Junior Tour event organisers . . . . . 13 European Senior Club Championships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Tennis Europe Junior Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Professional Rankings and Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

New President’s Fund 2018-2023 business strategy. Now in its second year, the strategy has resulted in a significant boost in sponsorship income. Any of the 50 European national tennis federations may apply for assistance from the Fund, subject to compliance with certain basic criteria. Announcing the Fund, President Dmitriev said, “We recognise that many of our member nations, particularly the smaller federations, constantly face day-to-day financial challenges which affect their ability to perform optimally. We want to support them in an efficient and simple way.” The Fund has had an instant and overwhelmingly positive response from member nations, with almost all of

Europe’s smallest federations expressing an immediate interest. The creation of the Fund is the most recent major initiative of the President and Board of Management. Other projects realised under the current Board include: • A new business strategy. • The Tennis Europe Junior School. • Creation of a new European 21 & Under event. • Tennis Europe training academy in Prostejov (CZE). • Upgrades to conferences. • Recruitment of a Padel Manager. • An new pathway from Tennis Europe to ITF tournaments.

Tennis Europe and HEAD Sportswear join forces HEAD Sportswear has become the Official Sportswear and Footwear Provider of the European Tennis Federation. The two-year agreement brings the apparel wing of the leading tennis equipment manufacturer alongside the comprehensive partnership between Tennis Europe and HEAD that began in 2007. From 2020, the partnership will see the provision of exclusive sportswear and footwear packages for all Tennis Europe Junior Tour players and tournaments, as well as all 50 European member federations. Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl said, “HEAD is a part of the Tennis Europe family, and we are delighted to now also be working with HEAD’s Sportswear division. 2020 promises to be a landmark year for Tennis Europe and the Junior Tour, and we are looking forward to offering branded Tour merchandise and other premium apparel to our 20,000 players and over 400 tournaments for the first time.” Roman Stepek, Vice President of HEAD Sportswear commented, “Youth sports are an important part of our corporate philosophy at HEAD Sportswear. We are

therefore very pleased to be able to support the remarkable work that Tennis Europe does in this field. It is essential to support the grassroots level and by partnering with Tennis Europe we can make a difference in supporting young tennis talents. We strongly respect the work Tennis Europe does for players, coaches and national federations in Europe, and are proud to be their partner.” For further information about HEAD Sportswear, visit www.head.com/sportswear.

Milan hosts biggest-ever Tennis Europe Juniors & Pro Conference Almost 100 delegates from 34 nations attended the Tennis Europe Juniors and Pro Tennis Conference recently in Milan, where the event was held alongside the ATP NextGen Finals. Hosted by the Italian Tennis Federation from 6-7 November, the biggest-ever edition of the conference welcomed leading speakers from across the sporting world, and was specifically devised for tournament directors and staff working in junior and pro tennis departments of national tennis federations. With an upgraded format for the biennial meeting, Tennis Europe aims to provide a platform to increase and improve dialogue and contacts between member nations, the professional tours (ATP, WTA), ITF and major players from the sports industry. The two-day meeting featured interactive working groups, panel discussions and traditional presentations, and delegates were also invited to attend a session of the ATP NextGen Finals.

The speaker line-up included contributions from:

• IMG • International Tennis Federation • FC Inter Milan • ATP Tour • Nicolas Almagro (former ATP #9) • Italian Tennis Federation • German Tennis Federation • US College Tennis • Lawn Tennis Association • French Tennis Federation and more…

Launching the event, Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev commented, “I cannot think of a better location for this event. This ATP NextGen Finals are the perfect confluence of all that will be discussed, offering us a wonderful opportunity to follow some of the most promising players to have graduated from the Tennis Europe Junior Tour to the world of professional tennis in recent years, and the chance to see innovative and exciting new match formats in action.”

Top Executives’ Meeting in Madrid 15 high profile speakers presented at the 41st Tennis Europe Top Executives’ Meeting recently in Madrid. The two-day conference coincided with the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals and brought together almost 100 Chief Executives, General Secretaries and executive staff from 35 of Tennis Europe’s member nations. The event blended traditional presentations with panel discussions and interviews and was devised to maximise interaction between speakers and delegates. A packed agenda included high-profile experts from a wide range of sports including basketball and football,

Tennis Europe and Spanish Federation Presidents Vladimir Dmitriev and Miguel Díaz Roman.

Top Executives’ Meeting in Madrid as well as tennis governing bodies, broadcasters and leading professional events. Tennis Europe Chief Executive Officer Thomas Hammerl commented, “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to making this such a successful event. When the executive staff from our member nations take time out of their busy schedules to come to our

Ken Solomon, President & CEO, Tennis Channel International.

events we want to make the experience as beneficial as possible for them. Our aim is to inspire and motivate them for the invaluable daily work they do in our federations.” The line-up featured speakers from:

• UEFA • La Liga • NBA • Tennis Channel • ATP Finals 2021-2025 (FIT) • International Tennis Federation • The Emotion Group • Mutua Madrid Open • Budapest Fed Cup Finals • Adecco Group

Participants were given an exclusive tour and opening dinner at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on the eve of the event and were able to visit Wednesday’s evening session of the inaugural edition of the new-look Davis Cup finals.

Tennis Europe and SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS extend research partnership Tennis Europe has extended its longstanding partnership with leading sports research consultancy SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS (SMS). The relationship has operated since 2004, running programmes like the Next Generation player study and tennis stakeholder research. It has also collated the data behind all four editions of the triennial European Tennis Report. The latest report was published in November 2018 and is available free of charge from the Tennis Europe website. Commenting on the partnership, SMS Managing Director John Bushell said “We are delighted to renew our relationship with Tennis Europe. We recognise their fantastic efforts to grow the sport across the continent, by supporting the national governing bodies and offering competitive pathways for everyone from future stars to senior players. We have enjoyed working with many of the member nations collectively and individually, and look forward to supporting many new and old friends through 2020 and beyond. Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl added “We value the partnership with SMS. This agreement helps Tennis

Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl and SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS Managing Director John Bushell.

Europe to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that we can provide meaningful insights for our member nations and partners as we work towards securing and enhancing the future of the sport in Europe.”

Junior Tour Players of the Year

The 2019 Tennis Europe Junior Tour Players of the Year have been revealed. The award is presented to the top-ranked European 14 and 16 & Under players according to the final Race to Junior Masters ranking of the season, plus a range of other winners selected for their achievements on the Tour throughout the year. The four year-end #1s also receive the prize of a oneweek stay at the prestigious Mouratoglou Academy in southern France, to be taken during 2020. Former recipients of the award include Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, all world #1s. For more info on the winners and to see video messages from the recipients, check our social media channels.

BOYS 14&U Vojtech Petr (Czech Republic)

Eight singles finals, four titles and one doubles title is an amazing effort for the 14-year-old from Zagreb. Add to this an additional title at the Junior Masters and it is difficult to see anyone else more deserving. In addition to the trophy from Reggio Calabria, the understated and humble Croat picked up Category One titles in Foligno and in Paris and ends the year with an impressive 53-12 win-loss record.

BOYS 16&U Peter Benjamin Privara (Slovakia) Closing out the year in the top 10 and as number one in the Race to the Masters, the Slovakian’s Player of the Year title comes with plenty of merit. After a gruelling season, he was upset in the semi-finals of the Junior Masters which did not detract from his achievements in 2019. His count of six tournament wins, including three Category One events (Barcelona, Warsaw and Sarajevo), made him one of the Tour’s most prolific winners in any age group. Building on his Tennis Europe junior Tour win/loss record of 39-3 for the year, Privara has already gone on to score a first doubles title on the ITF Junior World Tennis Tour in Stavanger recently.

GIRLS 16&U Ksenia Zaytseva (Russia) A prolific winner on the tour this year including five singles titles as well as four doubles titles, the Russian

Ending the year at #1 in the Race, and #2 in the rolling ranking, the Czech has made enormous strides in 2019. Winner of four of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s biggest events he claimed titles at Les Petits As, Maia and Piestany as well as taking the gold medal at the European Junior Championships. Despite missing the Junior Masters, his amazing efforts throughout the rest of the season made him more than worthy of the title of Player of the Year.

GIRLS 14&U Petra Marcinko (Croatia)

B14 Player of the Year Vojtech Petr (CZE).

G14 Player of the Year Petra Marcinko (CRO).

B16 Player of the Year Peter Benjamin Privara (SVK).

Junior Tour Players of the Year The pair won Category One titles in two age categories, namely 16&U Sarajevo and 14&U Piestany tournaments. Furthermore, they each won additional doubles titles with other partners.

OVERSEAS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (BOY) Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez (Mexico)

G16 Player of the Year Ksenia Zaytseva (RUS).

Closing out the year at number 26 in the 14 & Under rankings, the Mexican lost just five of his 26 singles matches. He took the Category 1 singles championships in Rakovnik as well as the doubles trophy at the Category 1 tournament in Bucharest.

OVERSEAS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (GIRL) Victoria Mboko (Canada) Also finishing at number 26 on the 14 & Under rankings, Mboko had incredible results from a limited European schedule. She played four events, claiming two Category One titles (Bolton and Dueren), as well as the singles and doubles title at the Category Two tournament in Nantes.

NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR Russia, 12&U Girls

Doubles Team of the Year - Nikola Bartunkova and Amelie Smejkalova (CZE).

has been a powerhouse player from the get-go in 2019. Capping off the year as the Junior Masters champion, adding to her Category One wins in Barcelona and Torelló, receiving the Player of the Year honour is the perfect ending to a fantastic year.

DOUBLES TEAM OF THE YEAR Nikola Bartunkova & Amelie Smejkalova (Czech Republic)

Team members: Mirra Andreeva*, Alina Korneeva*, Dana Pozhidaeva, Victoria Milovanova. Captain: Artem Derepasko* (At the Nations Challenge, Milovanova replaced Pozhidaeva). 2019 saw more Tennis Europe Junior Tour events than ever before, with 408 tournaments held and over 12,000 players taking part. Turn to Page 10 to read about some major innovations coming up in 2020.

In a competitive category, the Czech girls take the honours.

Three teams managed the impressive feat of sweeping both the Winter and Summer team competitions, but the performances of the Russian 12&U girls stood out, with more wins and less losses than the victors in other age categories. The team was also more constant, with remarkably little turnover of team members between the two events.

Photos, left to right: Boys Overseas Players of the Year - Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez (MEX). Girls’ Overseas Player of the Year - Victoria Mboko (CAN) National Team of the Year - Russia 12&U Girls.

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Prizmic, Marcinko, Nad & Zaytseva win Junior Masters titles

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Dino Prizmic of Croatia was the first of winners, improving his head-to-head record over Tennis Europe Junior Tour #1 Mihai Alexandru Coman to 4-0 with a hardfought 6-4 7-5 win. Prizmic led 5-2 in the second set and looked on course for a comfortable victory before his Romanian opponent raised his level under intense pressure, saving three match points. Cheered on by a sizeable squad of Croatian players, Prizmic eventually reasserted his authority with a final break of serve to claim the title.

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New champions have been crowned at the Tennis Europe Junior Masters, the prestigious season-ending Junior Tour climax which brings together the top 8 boys and girls aged 14 and 16 & Under.

Peter Nad (SVK).

Petra Marcinko made it a Croatian sweep of 14 & Under titles, brushing aside the challenge of third-seeded Czech Amelie Smejkalova 6-3 6-0 in just over an hour. She became the first Croatian girl to win the title since Jelena Pandzic in 1996, the very first edition of the competition. “I didn’t expect it to be so comfortable,” she told us. “I have played her before twice and we had both won so I knew it would be tough. This is the biggest title I have won this year, so I am very happy. The organisation has been great, and it has been a lot of fun.”

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The Girls 16 & Under final saw Russia’s Ksenia Zaytseva outlast Sebastianna Scilipoti of Switzerland in a high-quality three set battle. That the match was close was no surprise; although it was a first encounter between the two, each player had lost just twice on the

Dino Prizmic (CRO).

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Prizmic gained a spot at the Masters thanks to his silver medal finish at the European Championships in July, and was happy with his win, saying, “It feels great to win here. I was confident about my chances this weekend, but I knew I would have to play well.”

Petra Marcinko (CRO).

Tennis Europe Junior Tour all season, with Zaytseva winning five titles to Scilipoti’s 4. Scilipoti has Italian roots and enjoyed the support of the crowd but was unable to capitalise after winning an exhausting second set; the penultimate game of which lasted for over 20 minutes. Zaytseva sank to her knees in jubilation after the two-hour battle, saying, “It’s so good to win this tournament, the feeling is unbelievable.” The final match to be completed was the Boys 16 & Under final, which saw Slovakia’s Peter Nad deny Alen Bill a trio of titles for Croatia, overcoming a jinx in singles finals in the process. Having finished as runner-up in all four of his previous Tour finals in 2019, Nad netted one of the biggest titles of all, wrapping up a third straight sets win of the weekend to become just the second ever Slovakian champion of the Junior Masters. Bill had won the only previous encounter between the two in straight sets earlier this year in Rijeka, but the tables were turned on this occasion as the Slovakian turned in a dominant performance to win the opener 6-2 before reeling off three straight games to end the second set.

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Prizmic, Marcinko, Nad & Zaytseva win Junior Masters titles

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“It’s an amazing feeling to win my first Tennis Europe Junior Tour title here at the Masters,” he said. “I cannot believe it!” Bronze medals went to Maxim Zhukov (RUS, Boys 14), Nikola Daubnerova (SVK, Girls 14), Peter Privara (SVK, Boys 16) and Kateryna Lazarenko (UKR, Girls 16) after each won a play-off match.

Ksenia Zaytseva (RUS).

In addition to the title of Junior Masters champion, the four winners will each receive a one-week stay at the prestigious Mouratoglou Academy in France, where they will be

able to continue to develop their game alongside some of the world’s best known players and coaches, and enjoy the Academy’s award-winning facilities.

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The Tennis Europe Junior Masters was held for a ninth consecutive year at the CT Rocco Polimeni in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Over the years, the tournament has showcased the talents of many future greats, with former champions including the likes of Rafa Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic.

Junior Masters players.

FAST FACTS A total of 607 competitors from 70 countries took part in the Wimbledon Championships. Britain and France were the best represented European Countries. Europe accounted for over half of the competitors at the Wimbledon Championships. Wilson was the racquet brand that spent the most time on show courts (adult singles only), leading Head and Babolat. Nike was the most used shoe brand in the junior competitions. Source: 2019 Wimbledon Census, SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS, INC.

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A STELLAR YEAR FOR MOURATOGLOU PLAYERS In 2019, five players developed at the Mouratoglou Academy made splashes at the highest junior and professional levels.

Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune claimed the junior titles at the first two Grand Slam events of the year — the Australian Open and Roland-Garros respectively — before progressively transitioning to the pros. Holger finished his junior career with a flourish, winning the junior Masters and securing the year-end junior world No.1 ranking. 2017 Roland-Garros junior champion Alexei Popyrin confirmed all his potential by reaching the third round at his home Grand Slam, the Australian Open, clinching an illustrious win against Dominic Thiem in the second round. The Aussie went just as far at the US Open, earning himself a spot inside the year-end ATP top 100. As far as Coco Gauff is concerned, 2019 was a year full of records and full of ‘firsts’. First win on the WTA Tour at the Miami Open, fresh off celebrating her 15th birthday; first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon against her childhood idol Venus Williams; first Grand Slam second week, still at Wimbledon; first WTA title in doubles then in singles; first top 100 berth. Where even to start with Stefanos Tsitsipas? The year of confirmation is often said to be harder than the year of breakthrough, but the Greek nailed it from start to end. To be convinced of this, one only needs to have a look at Tsitsipas’ list of objectives for 2019. Reach a Grand semifinal? Check. Break into the top 10? Check. Make the ATP Finals field? Check. Last but not least, win a Masters 1000 event? Not check… but Tsitsipas did win the ATP Finals, the so-called ‘fifth Slam’. Why just achieve your goals when you can overachieve them?

Tennis Europe Junior Tour announces 2020 plans 2019 was a record-breaking year for the Junior Tour, and 2020 looks set to be even better. The European Federation owns the license for over 400 junior tournaments and runs more than 70 team events across the continent. Ahead of the new season, Tennis Europe has unveiled the first part of the new calendar, and a range of other innovations, including: • The introduction of a new ‘Super Category’ of 14 & Under tournaments • An enhanced player pathway to provide new opportunities for top 16 & Under players • Venues for the second season of the Tennis Europe Junior School • Exclusive new Tennis Europe Junior Tour apparel The 14 & Under Circuit will be further enhanced in 2020 with the creation of a new ‘Super Category’. Five of the Tour’s most prestigious events have been upgraded from Category 1 to Super Category status to reflect their extraordinary efforts and performances. Players at Super Category tournaments can earn more ranking points and look forward to extra services and benefits.

ceived specialised training and advice about life as professional tennis players. The pioneering education programme for players aged 14 and 16 & Under will see a wide range of new topics introduced in 2020, including Nutrition, Hydration, Periodisation, Agents & Sponsorship, Media and Social Media.

The tournaments promoted to Super Category status in 2020 are:

Players can train their brains at the following events in 2020:

• ONE-SGM Christmas Cup, Khimki (RUS) – week of December 30th • Les Petits As, Tarbes (FRA) – week of January 27th • Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris, Stockholm (SWE) – week of February 24th • XXVII Taça Internacional Maia (POR) – week of March 30th • 43. Internationale Deutsche Tennismeister schaften Dueren (GER) – week of July 27th

Another important innovation due to be implemented during 2020 will see reserved places in the main draws of 18 & Under ITF Junior Circuit tournaments in Europe for players aged 15 and 16 based on their Tennis Europe ranking. The system helps 16 & Under players get started at 18 & Under events, while encouraging participation at Tennis Europe’s 16 & Under tournaments. Additionally, the new system will extend the ITF player pathway for juniors within Europe and create a clear link between regional (Europe) and global (ITF) competition. In further news, the Tennis Europe Junior School has been officially approved by the WTA. So far, almost 500 young athletes have attended classes where they re-

• Les Petits As, Tarbes (FRA), 14&U Super Category • Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris, Stockholm (SWE), 14&U Super Category • ITF/Tennis Europe Development Championships, Antalya (TUR), 14&U • Sanchez-Casal Youth Cup, Barcelona (ESP), 16&U Category 1 • Ukrainian Junior Open, Irpin (UKR), 14/16&U Category 1 • European 14&U Championships, Most (CZE) • European 16&U Championships, Moscow (RUS) • European 18&U Championships, Klosters (SUI) • ITF World Junior Tennis Finals, Prostejov (CZE) • Tennis Europe Junior Masters

Also coming soon, Tour players will be able to purchase official Tennis Europe Junior Tour apparel, which will be made available throughout the season in association with HEAD Sportswear. With 408 events in 2019, the Tour catered for more players than ever before. Players can now enter the first events of 2020, with the calendar for the first seven months of the year now available here. 2020’s Major Rule Changes have also been published, and are available online here.

A REVOLUTIONARY FRAME DESIGN COMBINED WITH ADVANCED GRAPHENE 360+ TECHNOLOGY AND A MASSIVE SWEET SPOT TO DOMINATE PLAY. CLEARLY, THEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A NEW FORCE IN THE GAME.

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2020 12 & Under Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD Preview Europe’s biggest indoor team tennis tournament – the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD – is just around the corner. A record 198 national teams will be in action across the three age categories of the competition, which takes place over four consecutive weekends.

teams advancing to the final rounds two weeks later. Russia dominated the competition in 2019, winning the 12, 14 and 16 & Under girls’ titles, plus the Boys 16 & under event. France won the Boys 14 & Under event, while the Czech Republic’s boys made the most of their home advantage to claim the 12 & Under title.

The 42nd edition of the Winter Cups kicks off with Winners Czech Republic, runners-up Italy and third placed Great Britain the 12 & Under category, after the 2019 Boys 12 & Under finals. For a full list of dates, venwhich sees the qualifying ues and the repartition of rounds take place during the last weekend of January. nations for the 12 & under competition, please see below. 63 national teams are due to take part at seven venues across the continent, with eight boys’ and eight girls’

Detailed information on the 14 and 16 & Under events will be published online in the coming days.

Boys 12 & Under Qualifying 31 January – 2 February Zone A

Neudorfl (AUT) · Armenia, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey

Zone B

Hradek nad Nisou (CZE) · Andorra*, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Moldova*, Serbia

Zone C

Tallinn (EST) · Denmark, Estonia, France, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Ukraine

Zone D

Nastola (FIN) · Belarus, Finland, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia

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Veska (CZE) · 14-16 February

*These teams will play a preliminary qualifying round on 30th January.

Girls 12 & Under Qualifying 31 January – 2 February Zone A

Rakovnik (CZE) · Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia

Zone B

Tallinn (EST) · Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Switzerland

Zone C

Feucherolles (FRA) · Cyprus, Denmark, France, Georgia, Great Britain, Hungary, Poland, Portugal

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Kyiv (UKR) · Belarus, Italy, Moldova, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine

Finals

Sunderland (GBR) · 14-16 February

Coming soon: New and Improved Promotional Tools for Tournament Organisers In the upcoming weeks, Tennis Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free-to-use design templates for tournament organisers will be receving a fresh new look for 2020. The templates can be used to produce tournament posters, flyers, social media posts and magazine covers, amongst an array of other assets. Tournament organisers will be also able to choose from a wider selection of templates and personalized features, which have been designed to make every Tennis Europe Junior Tour event stand out.

New for 2020: Tennis Europe Flagship Events

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In addition to regular Tennis Europe Junior Tour events, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also upgrading services for our flagship events. In 2020, access to the promotional tools will be also given to all Tennis Europe individual* and team** flagship events. In this way, Tennis Europe will ensure that this comprehensive service is available across the entire Junior Tour event portfolio. Please get in contact with our Marketing & Promotion Department at filipk@tenniseurope.org should you need any assistance in promoting your tournament. *Tennis Europe individual flagship events: European Junior Championships, Tennis Europe Junior Masters. **Tennis Europe team flagship events: Winter Cups by HEAD, Nations Challenge by HEAD, European Summer Cups.

La Manga Club prepares to host the 2020 Fed Cup – Spain vs. Japan After the men’s team’s memorable victory against Canada in the Davis Cup, Spain’s ladies will launch their bid for global glory in the 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas against Japan at the iconic La Manga Club resort in February. La Manga Club is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante, in southern Spain. Set out over an area of some 1,400 acres, it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m2 Wellness Centre La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor

swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 15 restaurants and bars. La Manga Club’s hugely impressive 28-court Tennis Centre ensures it sits among the highest echelons of outdoor facilities in Spain. Whether it’s for a five-year-old taking the first steps on to a court during a week’s holiday, or a top-level international tournament, the courts, infrastructure and accommodation sets La Manga Club apart. Down the years it has played host to many prestigious events, such as Davis Cup matches and ATP tournaments, while providing outstanding training facilities for some of Europe’s top tennis superstars. Complementing the in-demand courts, is a Tennis Academy, which offers tailored coaching for players of all ages and levels.

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European Senior Club Championships A second week of European Senior Club Championship action took place in early December at La Manga Club in Murcia, Spain. On this occasion the spotlight fell on the most senior age categories, with Men’s 60 and 65 and Women’s 65 and 70 events held.

The team once again dominated, holding off the challenge of runners-up 45 Tennis Club from Great Britain to claim the Women’s 70 title. The 45 Club added more silver medals in the Women’s 65, where they were runners-up to Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899.

Incredibly, organisers managed to complete the 5-day On the men’s side, there 2019 European Senior Club Championships - Week 2. tournament in just 2.5 days were two first-time Euroafter torrential rains forced pean champions. SC Sassthem to abandon two full days of competition. uolo ASD of Italy took home the Over 60 trophy, beating Russia’s Rzhevskie Vorota into second place. The Men’s Each event saw four teams taking part in a round-robin 65 title went to Hossegor Odyssey of France, who lost draw. A total of 16 teams took part, from 9 different just two of thirteen matches on their way to the title, European nations. French teams travelled home with beating Belgium’s Club Justine Henin into second place. the most silverware, claiming two titles. Full results from week 2 can be found here. The 35 & Lagardere Paris Racing added to their incredibly sucOver to 55 & Over events were held at the same venue th cessful run by scoring a 10 European title in 11 years. in September of this year. A report can found here.

Notes from Tennis Europe The 2020 Tennis Europe Annual General Meeting will be hosted by the Hellenic Tennis Federation in Crete, Greece, from 26-28 March. Member nations are reminded that invitations have been sent, and that the deadlines for entries, election nominations and motions is January 27th. For further information, please contact Nadja Koran Mai Ito has taken over from Maria Poyato as the new coordinator of Tennis Europe’s Professional Tennis Department. She can be contacted at protennis@tenniseurope.org. We wish Maria all the best in her new job! The latest issue of the European Racquet Stringers’ Association (ERSA) online magazine ‘Pro Stringer’ can be found here

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2019 Centenary Tennis Clubs Competitions The Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs, a long-time partner of Tennis Europe, recently completed another busy summer of competitions during which many of the world’s best-known clubs took part in a range of junior and senior competitions. Most of the Association’s competitive events took place in Europe. The most coveted prize is that of the ‘Winners’ Group’, which unites the champions of the previous year’s senior events at one location to battle for the CTC’s most prestigious title. This year’s Winners’ Group event was held on the weekend of September 6-8 at TC Genève, where the host club was joined by last year’s winner I.CLTK Prague and challengers SALK Stockholm and Real Club Polo Barcelona. Despite some close battles in the individual matches, the defending champions were in dominant form once again and held on to their trophy with wins over the Polo Club and TC Genève. When I.CLTK returns to the Winners’ Group in Athens in 2020, they will face opposition from the champions of this year’s other senior events: TC Padova (who won their group at TC Lyon), Athens Lawn Tennis Club (who claimed their title at home in a nail-biting finale against KLTK Stockholm), and Le Tir of Paris, who also made the most of their home advantage. The Association’s ‘Super Seniors’ competition took place at HLTC Leimonias in Belgium, where Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899 beat Carrickmines for the title. As always, junior events were a prominent part of the CTC calendar. The Under 12 Carrickmines Cup saw new

champions in the form of SALK of Stockholm. Villa Primrose of France claimed the Under 14 championship in Padova, while Carrickmines scored an impressive victory on clay to take the Under 14 title at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona in Spain. The Irish club fell just short of a double in Prague, when they lost to hosts I. CLTK on a score countback after ending the matches at 3-3. Host club RST La Magdalena of Santander, Spain, claimed the CTC’s Under 16 title. Other events staged by CTC clubs included a second edition of the Centenary Cup in Guayaquil, Ecuador. 129 players were in action, representing 14 clubs in Over 45 and Over 55 competitions. With 2020 just around the corner, the CTC recently held its 23rd Annual General Meeting in Lausanne, which heard details of the organisation’s activities in 2019 and plans for the future. Four new clubs were admitted to the Association, bringing the number of centenary clubs around the world to 75. Tennis Club Stade Lausanne (Switzerland), Club de Tennis las Terrazas Miraflores (Peru), Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, (USA) and Sutter Lawn Tennis Club (USA) are the new members. The CTC is an umbrella group of clubs that are more than 100 years old. Initially founded by eight members as a pan-European association, the organisation now has an extensive and truly global membership and is affiliated to Tennis Europe and recognised by the ITF. The CTC’s main partner is private bank E. Gutzwiller & Cie, banquiers. For further information and for full summaries of all this year’s competitions, please visit www.centenarytennisclubs.org

Final day of the U14 RCTB Cup in Barcelona.

Service Line... stories you may have missed EVENTS 11 European nations will take part in the 2020 Davis Cup by Rakuten Qualifiers during the weekend of 6-7 March. The draw is as follows (host nations listed first): Croatia vs. India, Hungary vs. Belgium, Colombia vs. Argentina, USA vs. Uzbekistan, Australia vs. Brazil, Italy vs. Republic of Korea, Germany vs. Belarus, Kazakhstan vs. Netherlands, Slovakia vs. Czech republic, Austria vs. Uruguay, Japan vs. Ecuador, Sweden vs. Chile. A further 11 nations will take part in the World Group I play-offs during the same weekend: Ukraine vs. Chinese Taipei, Slovenia vs. Pakistan, Bolivia vs. Dominican Republic, Turkey vs. Israel, Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. South Africa, Mexico vs. Finland, Lebanon vs. Thailand, Venezuela vs. New Zealand, Peru vs. Switzerland, Norway vs. Barbados, Lithuania vs. Portugal, Romania vs. China. The winning nations from these Play-offs will compete in World Group I ties in September 2020 along with the losing nations from the Qualifiers. The losing nations from the World Group I Play-offs will compete in World Group II ties in September 2020, along with the winning nations from the World Group II Play-offs. Europe will have three new WTA Tour events in 2020. Germany will host two new grass court events in Berlin (Premier) and Bad Homburg (International) before Wimbledon, while Lyon in France will host a new hard court event. Changes at the ATP: Former player Andrea Gaudenzi will replace Chris Kermode as Chairman of the ATP on January 1st..

BROADCAST Dominic Thiem’s loss in the final of the ATP Finals earned Servus TV its highest ever audience, with over 1 million viewers at one point following the action on the Austrian free-to-air channel. Eurosport has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the ATP Tour in four new markets. The deals commence in Romania and Hungary in 2020 and in Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2021.

SPONSORSHIP Wilson has replaced Babolat as the official ball provider of Roland Garros. Nordea is the new main sponsor of the Swedish Open in Bastad, which will be known as the Nordea Open from 2020. HEAD has extended its cooperation with the Rolex Paris Masters ATP 1000 event, where the manufacturer is the tournament’s Official Racquet & Ball.

COACHING Lots of coaching changes for leading WTA players in 2020: Dayana Yastremska has begun working with Sascha Bajin. Karolina Pliskova is now coached by Dani Vallverdu. Garbiñe Muguruza has reunited with former coach Conchita Martinez. Angelique Kerber is now working with Dieter Kindlmann. Julia Goerges and Jens Gerlach have also joined forces. On the men’s side, Karen Khachanov has added Frederik Rosenberg to his team for 2020. Though his participation at the Australian Open is currently in doubt, Kei Nishikori will be working with Max Mirnyi next season.

PLAYERS Players to announce their retirements at the end of the 2019 season included Dominika Cibulkova, Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Tomas Berdych, Marcin Matkowski and Janko Tipsarevic. Carla Suarez Navarro and Bob & Mike Bryan have announced that 2020 will be their final seasons ontour, while former world #1 Caroline Wozniacki has revealed that she will retire after competing in the Australian Open one last time. Roger Federer fans crashed the website of Swissmint after it was announced that 100,000 limited edition 20 Swiss Franc coins would be minted featuring the tennis player’s image. A further run of the coins is expected to be produced in the new year.

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

& 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 3rd December 2019.

Overall Girls’ Ranking Name

Nat.

Points

Elsa Jacquemot

FRA

3702

Polina Kudermetova

RUS

3338

Oksana Selekhmeteva

RUS

2948

Cori Gauff

USA

2780

05 NEW Maria Bondarenko

RUS

2658

06 NEW Linda Fruhvirtova

CZE

2633

07 NEW Alexandra Eala

PHI

2460

USA

2238

USA

2013

RUS

1980

Name

Nat.

Points

Holger Rune

DEN

5448

Shintaro Mochizuki

JPN

4896

Martin Damm

USA

3695

Toby Alex Kodat

USA

2745

Hamad Medjedovic

SRB

1935

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia

ESP

1678

Max Westphal

FRA

1666

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard FRA

1654

Peter Benjamin Privara

SVK

1450

FRA

1443

Rank

Alexandra Yepifanova

09 NEW Robin Montgomery 10

Diana Shnaider

Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE).

Overall Boys’ Ranking Rank

10 NEW Mehdi Sadaoui

Holger Rune (DEN).

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

& 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 3rd December 2019.

14 & Under Girls Name

Nat.

Points

Nikola Bartunkova

CZE

1040

Alisa Baranovska

UKR

1025

Petra Marcinko

CRO

935

Amelie Smejkalova

CZE

884

Elena Pridankina

RUS

865

Karolina Kozakova

SUI

860

Yaroslava Bartashevich

RUS

790

Nikola Daubnerova

SVK

790

Anastasia Gureva

RUS

785

Daria Yesypchuk

UKR

740

Name

Nat.

Points

Mihai Alexandru Coman

ROU

955

Vojtech Petr

CZE

889

Yaroslav Demin

RUS

810

CRO

795

RUS

750

SUI

720

GER

705

08 NEW Iliyan Radulov

BUL

695

09 NEW Adriano Dzhenev

BUL

675

CZE

670

Rank

Nikola Bartunkova (CZE).

14 & Under Boys Rank

04 NEW Dino Prizmic 05

Maxim Zhukov

06 NEW Killian Feldbausch 07

Georg Eduard Israelan

Jakub Mensik

Kilian Feldbausch (SUI).

Tennis Europe Junior Tour Results 2019 Tennis Europe Junior Tour - 12 & Under Week

Venue

22 Oct

Telde - Gran Canaria (ESP)

22 Oct

Baku (AZE)

29 Oct 29 Oct 29 Oct 12 Nov

Gradignan (FRA) Santa Ponsa (ESP) Baku (AZE) Haifa (ISR)