For many players, the Tennis Europe Junior Tour is their first international tennis experience and a dress rehearsal for life as a professional tennis player. Rankings, online entries, team competitions, and a season-ending Masters all reflect aspects of life on the ITF, ATP or WTA Tours.
Before reaching the professional tours, there is one more step taken by most players on their pathway to success: competing on the 18 & Under ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors circuit.
Thanks to a cooperation with the ITF, Tennis Europe helps to smooth the process for the most talented 16 & Under players to reach the main draws of ITF junior events as they look to make the next steps in their career. Players can benefit in three ways:
16 & Under Regional Reserve Project
Players ranked in the top 50 of the Tennis Europe 16 & Under rankings will be eligible to use their ranking to be accepted into a Regional Reserved place in the Main Draw of certain ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors 18 & Under tournaments.
16 & Under Tournament Feed Up System
The top 7 European players according to the year-end Tennis Europe Junior Tour ranking receive ‘exempt’ positions at pre-determined ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors tournaments.
16 & Under Team Competition Feed Up System
Players in teams that finish in the Top 3 of the Davis Cup Juniors and Billie Jean King Cup Juniors 16 & Under each receive two exempt positions at ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors tournaments.
For more information, you can read the complete Rules and Regulations here.
The Tennis Europe Junior Tour’s 16 & Under is the chosen stepping stone for most players graduating from the 14 & Under age group. After the 16 & Under, players move on to participate in 18 and Under events. In 2022, the 16 & Under Tour consisted of 132 tournaments in 36 countries.
The first of a brand new ‘Super Category’ of elite 16 & Under events – Torneo Avvenire in Milan, Italy - is due to take place next month.