Tennis Europe and the WTA have announced plans to collaborate on the Tennis Europe Junior School in 2020.
Designed to help prepare young players for their life as professional tennis players, the School is the sport’s first international educational program for the 14 and 16 & Under age groups. Around 500 young athletes have benefitted from onsite classes at eight leading Tennis Europe Junior Tour events in 2019, and learned about topics including:
- Anti-Doping
- Integrity in Tennis
- Agents and Sponsorship
- Tennis Ecosystem
Meanwhile, the current content is also available online in the form of video clips for all the Tour’s 20,000 eligible junior players.
Having given its official approval to the project, the WTA can now contribute to the selection and creation of content tailored specifically for young female players, send experts to Junior School classes, and advise on a wide range of topics in the Junior School curriculum.
Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl initiated the project in 2018, and commented, “We are very proud to officially welcome the WTA on board. Both organisations recognise the importance of education for players and furthermore we believe it is vital that players receive consistent messages throughout their journeys, so this cooperation is particularly significant. We are looking forward to working together to ensure that young players from Europe and beyond get prepared for their life on the WTA Tour.”
“The WTA is looking forward to collaborating with the Tennis Europe Junior School in 2020 as we look to support these young players and prepare them for a rewarding and successful career,” said Ashley Keber, WTA Vice President, Member Relations. “The WTA will work closely with Tennis Europe to develop, enhance and educate these players during their formative years, working in tandem to provide training and skill-building along their developmental spectrum with the ultimate goal being a smooth transition to the professional circuit and a healthy and successful career.”
Tennis Europe runs more than 400 junior tournaments across the continent across three age categories and provides important rankings for players aged 14 and 16 & Under. Education is a key pillar of the organisation’s strategy and the European Federation is currently working on the creation of new Junior School content to be launched for the 2020 season.