The ITF/Tennis Europe 14&Under Development Championships are underway at the MegaSaray Club in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together players and coaches from across the continent for one of Tennis Europe’s cornerstone development events.
Organised for the 15th time by the Turkish Tennis Federation (TTF), the Championships feature 10 national teams from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, and Türkiye. The competition remains an essential opportunity for developing tennis nations to gain valuable international experience at a high level.
This week’s programme consists of two back-to-back Category 2 tournaments for the 14 & Under age group. Performances in Antalya will play a significant role in determining selection for the ITF/Tennis Europe 14&U Touring Team, which is set to compete at several of the circuit’s most prestigious events during the summer.
Each eligible nation has taken up its full allocation of places, with teams made up of two boys and two girls. Altogether, 40 players are in action, supported by 18 coaches — including six women — underlining the Championships’ strong emphasis on both player development and coach education.
The official opening ceremony was held today in the presence of the Tennis Europe Development Department staff (Borislav Stoyanov and Maciej Szymonski), who inaugurated the event by welcoming teams to Antalya and thanking the Turkish Tennis Federation as well as local organisers and MegaSaray hotel for their hospitality and commitment to the event throughout the years. This edition of the Development Championships is Olha Lazarchuk’s first as the ITF Development Officer for Europe; she was a former player on two occasions. In her address, she thanked the TTF, the local organisers, and Tennis Europe for their continued dedication to delivering a high-quality event and wished all players and coaches every success during the week.
İsmail Hakkı Kurt, Turkish Tennis Federation Board Member, also expressed his pleasure at hosting the event in Türkiye for the 15th time and warmly welcomed the participating teams. Kemal Şahin, Chairman of the Board of Şahinler Holding (owner of the MegaSaray hotels chain), likewise greeted the players, extending his best wishes for the tournament and their future careers, while reaffirming the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting young athletes and further strengthening the tennis infrastructure in Türkiye.
One of Tennis Europe’s principal development initiatives, the Championships were established to offer elite international competition to outstanding players from Europe’s emerging tennis nations. Alumni of the event include Aryna Sabalenka, Jelena Ostapenko, Simona Halep, Marcos Baghdatis, and Grigor Dimitrov — highlighting the Championships’ long-standing contribution to the growth of European tennis.
The latest draws and results from Week 1 can be found here. A full tournament report will be published following the conclusion of play.