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International Tennis Federation

International Tennis Federation Headquarters
Abbreviation	ITF
Formation	1 March 1913; 112 years ago (1913-03-01)
Founder	Duane Williams
Founded at	Paris, France
Type	Federation of national associations
Headquarters	London, England
Membership	211 national associations
Official language	English
President	David Haggerty

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the main organization that runs world tennis. It also looks after wheelchair tennis and beach tennis. It started in 1913 as the International Lawn Tennis Federation. Back then, it had twelve national tennis groups. Today, the ITF has 211 national groups and six regional groups as members.

The ITF has many important jobs. It makes and checks the rules of tennis. It also organizes big international team games. The ITF helps grow the sport around the world. It also works to keep tennis fair and honest. This includes programs against cheating and using banned substances. The ITF works with other groups like the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to manage professional tennis.

The ITF organizes yearly team events. These include the Davis Cup for men and the Billie Jean King Cup for women. There is also the Hopman Cup for mixed teams. The ITF also runs tennis and wheelchair tennis events at the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. They do this for the International Olympic Committee. The ITF also supports different tennis tours. These tours are for juniors, professional players, seniors, wheelchair tennis, and beach tennis. The ITF also keeps track of rankings for these different types of players.

History of the ITF

International Tennis Federation founding members, 1913.

Duane Williams, an American living in Switzerland, helped start the International Tennis Federation. Sadly, he passed away in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The group was first called the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). Its first meeting was in Paris, France, on March 1, 1913. Twelve national tennis groups attended this meeting. Three other countries also wanted to join. The 15 founding countries included Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, and France. Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands were also founders. Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland completed the list. Canada, Norway, and the United States were invited but did not join at first.

Great Britain's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) had the most votes. They were allowed to host the "World Grass Championships" forever. This made the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) unhappy. They thought the Davis Cup should have that title. France was allowed to host the "World Hard Court Championships" until 1916. A "World Covered Court Championships" also started. The USLTA finally joined in 1923. This happened after two agreements were made. The "World Championships" title was removed. Also, the rules would always be in English.

The "World Championships" were replaced by "Official Championships." These were the main tournaments in Australia, France, England, and the United States. Today, these are known as the four Majors or Grand Slam events. In 1924, the ILTF became the official group. It had the power to control tennis around the world. It also created the official ILTF Rules of Tennis.

By 1939, the ILTF had 59 member countries. During World War II, its money was moved to London, England. Since then, the ITF has been run from London. It was based in Wimbledon until 1987. Then it moved to Barons Court. In 1998, it moved again to Roehampton. This is where it is located today. In 1977, the word 'Lawn' was removed from its name. This was because most tennis games were no longer played on grass.

After the events in Ukraine in 2022, the ITF stopped all events in Russia. Russia was also not allowed to play in international team events. This included the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. The Russian Tennis Federation was also suspended. However, the ATP and WTA did not ban individual players. Russian players still play, but not under the Russian flag.

How the ITF is Organized

Map showing countries whose national tennis associations are ITF members. Colors show the six regional groups.

National and Regional Tennis Groups

Map showing countries whose national tennis associations are ITF members since March 2022. Colors show the six regional groups.

As of 2017, the ITF has 211 national tennis groups. Of these, 148 can vote, and 63 are associate members. The number of votes a member gets depends on several things. These include how well they do in ITF team games. It also depends on their players' rankings. How often they host international tournaments matters too. Their help with ITF facilities is also considered. For example, France has 12 votes. Canada has 9 votes. Egypt has 5 votes. Pakistan has 3 votes, and Botswana has 1 vote.

Regional groups were started in July 1975. They were called "supra-national associations." These included Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Australia. Their goal was to help connect the ILTF with national groups. These have become the current regional groups:

Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) – 44 members
Central American & Caribbean Tennis Confederation (COTECC) – 33 members
Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) – 52 members
Oceania Tennis Federation (OTF) – 20 members
South America Tennis Confederation (COSAT) – 10 members
Tennis Europe (TE) – 50 members (Due to the events in Ukraine in 2022, Tennis Europe suspended the Russian and Belarus Tennis Federations.)
ITF members with no regional group (Canada and the United States)

ITF Leaders

The ITF President and Board of Directors are chosen every four years. National groups nominate candidates. They can serve for up to twelve years.

Board of Directors (2019–2023)
Role	Board Member	National Association
President	David Haggerty	United States
Vice President & Treasurer	Rene Stammbach	Switzerland
Vice President	Katrina Adams	United States
	Bernard Giudicelli	France
	Bulat Utemuratov	Kazakhstan
Board Members	Carlos Bravo	Costa Rica
	Martin Corrie	Great Britain
	Jack Graham	Canada
	Nao Kawatei	Japan
	Anil Khanna	India
	Ulrich Klaus	Germany
	Salma Mouelhi Guizani	Tunisia
	Camilo Pérez López Moreira	Paraguay
	Aleksey Selivanenko	Russia
	Stefan Tzvetkov	Bulgaria
Athlete Board Members	Mary Pierce	France
Athlete Board Members	Mark Woodforde	Australia

How Tennis is Governed

The ITF is the main group that controls tennis worldwide. Its jobs include:

Making, changing, and enforcing the Rules of Tennis.
Managing international team competitions.
Helping to promote the game of tennis.
Keeping tennis fair and honest.

The ITF's rules say that the official Rules of Tennis must always be in English. A special committee within the ITF suggests changes to the rules. These suggestions then go to the board of directors. The Rules of Tennis cover how to play and score. They also cover coaching during a game. The rules also describe the exact size and type of equipment. This includes the ball, racket, net, and court. The rules apply to tennis, wheelchair tennis, and beach tennis.

The ITF also runs the Tennis Anti-Doping Program. This program follows the World Anti-Doping Code. This code comes from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). National tennis groups must follow this code in their own countries. They must report any rule breaking to the ITF and WADA. They also report yearly on all tests they do. The Tennis Anti-Doping Program started in 1993. It applies to all players in ITF-approved games. It also applies to players on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour. In 2015, over 2500 samples were collected from men. Over 1900 samples were collected from women. Many samples were taken during tournaments. Others were taken at different times.

The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) helps protect tennis from cheating. It was started in 2008. This was because of problems with betting and corruption. The TIU's job is to stop all kinds of cheating related to betting. National groups must also enforce rules of conduct. They must report any rule breaking. In 2021, the TIU became part of a new group. This new group is called the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

Tennis Competitions

Team Competitions

The ITF runs two big yearly international team events. These are the Davis Cup for men and the Billie Jean King Cup for women. It also supports the Hopman Cup. This is a yearly tournament for mixed-gender teams. The ITF also organizes tennis and wheelchair tennis events. These happen every four years at the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. They do this for the International Olympic Committee.

Davis Cup for Men

Vincent Richards, Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston at the 1922 Davis Cup

The Davis Cup is named after its founder, Dwight F. Davis. It is a yearly team event for men's tennis. Teams from different countries play in a knockout style. The first Davis Cup was in 1900, before the ITF was formed. Since 2019, the tournament ends with the Davis Cup Finals. This event has 18 teams (reduced to 16 in 2022). Teams are put into groups and play each other. Eight teams then move on to the quarterfinals. All later matches are knockout games.

From 1981 to 2018, the tournament had a 16-nation World Group. It also had zone groups for different parts of the world. In 2019, the Davis Cup changed its top level. The World Group was made bigger. It now has World Group I and World Group II. Each has 24 teams (reduced to 16 from 2022). Lower levels stayed the same. Each year, successful teams can move up one level. Teams that don't do well move down one level. Davis Cup matches happen four times a year. They are planned to not interfere with the ATP Tour. This helps more players join. In each round, singles and doubles matches are played to find the winners. In 2020, 142 countries played. This made it the biggest yearly international team event in sports.

Billie Jean King Cup for Women

Petra Kvitová, a member of the winning Czech Republic Fed Cup Team in 2011

The Billie Jean King Cup is a yearly team event for women's tennis. It is like the Davis Cup. It started in 1963 as the Federation Cup. This was to celebrate the ITF's 50th birthday. It was renamed the Fed Cup in 1995. In 2020, it was renamed again to honor tennis legend Billie Jean King. The current setup, started in 2020, is similar to the Davis Cup. Countries are divided into zone groups. These include Americas, Europe/Africa, and Asia/Oceania. They play in two or three levels. The top level is the 12-team Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

The Finals are played like the Davis Cup Finals. Teams play in groups first. Then there are knockout semifinals and finals. The winner and runner-up of the Finals automatically qualify for next season's Finals. Teams ranked 3–10 go to the next season's Qualifiers. There, they play against winners from the Play-offs. The Play-offs include losing teams from the Qualifiers. They also include winning teams from the top zone groups. Like the Davis Cup, teams can move up or down levels each year. Billie Jean King Cup matches happen three times a year. They are planned to not interfere with the WTA Tour. This helps more players join. In each round, singles and doubles matches are played to find the winners. In 2020, 116 countries played. This made it the biggest yearly international team event in women's sports.

Junior World Cups

U14 World Cup (Men / Women) - Called the World Junior Tennis Competition. It has been held since 1991.
U12 Intercontinental Team Competition

Hopman Cup for Mixed Teams

The Hopman Cup is a yearly team event. It is played by mixed-gender national teams. The first tournament was in 1989. The ITF has supported it since 1997. The tournament happens over one week at the start of the tennis season. This is usually in late December or early January in Australia. Each year, eight countries are chosen to play. One female and one male player are invited from each. Teams play each other in groups. The best team from each group goes to the final.

Tennis at the Olympics and Paralympics

Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Tennis was part of the Summer Olympic Games from the very first one in 1896. But it was removed after the 1924 Summer Olympics. This was because the ITF and the International Olympic Committee disagreed. They argued about whether amateur players could compete. After being a test sport in 1968 and 1984, tennis returned as a full medal sport. This happened at the 1988 Summer Olympics. It has been played at every Games since then.

Wheelchair tennis first appeared at the Summer Paralympic Games as a test sport in 1988. Two events were held: Men's and Women's Singles. It became an official medal sport in 1992. It has been played at every Summer Paralympics since then. Four events were held from 1992 to 2000. Quad events (mixed gender) in both singles and doubles were added in 2004.

Individual Competitions

The ITF supports the Grand Slam tennis tournaments. It also supports tours for different age groups. These include junior, professional, and seniors. It also supports tours for wheelchair tennis and beach tennis. The ITF also keeps rankings for juniors, seniors, wheelchair, and beach tennis players.

World Veteran Championship

The ITF World Tennis Masters Tour and championship started in 1973/1981. World championships began in 1981. In 1993, the world championships were split into two age groups. In 2015, they were split into three age groups. As of 2015, the groups are:

Young Seniors (ages 35 to 49)
Seniors (ages 50 to 64)
Super-Seniors (ages 65 to 85)

Grand Slam Tournaments

The ITF organizes and supports the "Official Tennis Championships of the International Tennis Federation." These are usually called the Grand Slam events. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. The ITF is part of the Grand Slam Committee.

Professional Tennis Tours

The ITF runs beginner-level professional tours for both men and women. These tours help players move from junior tournaments to bigger tours. The bigger tours are run by the ATP and WTA. Professional tour tournaments are open to all tennis players aged 14 and older. Players must qualify to play. These tournaments offer prize money and world ranking points. National tennis groups own or support these tournaments. The ITF approves them.

Men's tours started in 1976. The ITF took over running them in 1990. From then until 2006, four-week "satellite tournaments" were held. Players had to play in the whole series. In 1998, single-week ITF Futures tournaments began. These are often scheduled in groups of two or three weeks in the same area. As of 2016, over 600 ITF Futures tournaments were held in 77 countries. They offered prize money from $10,000 to $25,000. ITF Futures tournaments are the third level of men's tournaments. They are below the ATP Challenger Tour and the top-level ATP World Tour.

The ITF took over a beginner-level women's tour in 1984. As of 2016, the ITF Women's Circuit has over 500 tournaments in 65 countries. They offer prize money from $10,000 to $100,000. The ITF Women's Circuit is the third level in women's tennis. It is below the WTA 125 tournaments and the top-level WTA Tour.

Junior Tennis Tour

Filip Peliwo, ITF Junior World Champion 2012, during the 2012 Junior US Open

Since 1977, the ITF has organized international tennis tournaments for junior players. Tournaments have different levels:

Grade A (the highest, including junior Grand Slams)
Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5 (the lowest)

Players earn points for the ITF Junior World Rankings based on the tournament level. In 2004, the ITF started using combined junior rankings. This was to encourage players to play doubles. As of 2015, the junior tour has 400 tournaments in 121 countries. Players between their 13th and 19th birthdays can play.

To help top junior girls move to the professional tour, the ITF started a special program in 1997. Girls ranked in the top 10 at the end of the year get direct entry into three professional tour events the next year. In 2006, this program was also started for boys.

Seniors Tennis Tour

The ITF World Tennis Masters Tour was renamed in August 2022. It used to be called the ITF Seniors Tour. This tour offers team and individual events. These include singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. They are for every five-year age group from 30+ to 90+. The ITF World Tennis Masters Tour Circuit has over 380 tournaments. These are in more than 72 countries. There are six different levels of tournaments. The lowest level is MT100. Then there are MT200, MT400, MT700, MT1000, and World Championships. MT700, MT1000, and World Championships are top tournaments. They attract some of the best tennis players globally. This includes former ATP players.

Wheelchair Tennis Tour

Aniek van Koot at the 2015 US Open

The first tour for wheelchair tennis started in 1980. It had ten tournaments. In 1992, the Wheelchair Tennis Tour began with eleven events. It was organized by the International Wheelchair Tennis Federation (IWTF). This group joined the ITF six years later. As of 2016, the wheelchair tennis tour has over 160 events. These are in more than 40 countries. This includes tournaments from the lowest level (Futures) up to the Grand Slams.

Beach Tennis Tour

Beach tennis match

In 2008, the ITF took over developing beach tennis. It launched the Beach Tennis Tour (BTT). This tour started with 14 tournaments. By 2015, it had grown to nearly 300 tournaments. The most important ones are the ITF Beach Tennis World Team Championship. Also, the ITF Beach Tennis World Championships, European Beach Tennis Championships, and ITF Pan American Championships. Like other ITF tours, these tournaments are approved by the ITF. They are mainly organized by national tennis groups. The ITF also keeps rankings for beach tennis players.

Awards and Rankings

2009 ITF World Champion trophies awarded to Roger Federer and Serena Williams

World Champions

Each year, the ITF names a World Champion in different types of tennis. They choose based on how players performed all year. They especially look at Grand Slam tournaments. They also consider team events like the Davis Cup and Fed Cup. Singles champions were first named in 1978. Later, World Champion awards were added for doubles players. Awards were also added for juniors and wheelchair players.

Usually, the ITF World Champions are also the top-ranked players. But this is not always true. For example, Jennifer Capriati was named World Champion in 2001. She won the Australian Open and French Open. She finished the year ranked number two. But Lindsay Davenport finished the year ranked number one. Her best results at major tournaments were two semifinal appearances.

Philippe Chatrier Award

The Philippe Chatrier Award is a yearly ITF award. It honors people or groups who have helped tennis a lot. This includes their work on and off the court. The award started in 1996. It is the ITF's highest honor. It is named after Philippe Chatrier. He was a French tennis player. He was also the President of the ITF from 1977 to 1991.

National Rankings

The ITF keeps track of how countries rank in women's and men's tennis. These rankings are based only on how well they have done in the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup. These rankings are used to decide which teams get a better starting position each year.

The women's and men's rankings are figured out in a similar way. A country's points are based on points earned over the past four years. Countries earn points by winning. The number of points depends on the group they are in. It also depends on the round they play. The ranking of the opponent also matters. For the men's ranking, extra points are given for winning on an opponent's home court. Points earned in the last 12 months count for 100%. Points from two years ago count for 75%. Points from three years ago count for 50%. Points from four years ago count for 25%.

Player Rating and Registration

International Tennis Number (ITN)

The International Tennis Number (ITN) is a worldwide tennis rating system. It gives tennis players a number that shows their general skill level. Players are rated from ITN 1 (like a professional player) to 10 (for new players).

Charts have been made to connect the ITN to other rating systems. These are used in countries where the ITF has members. The goal is for every tennis player in the world to have a rating.

Below ITN 10, there are three more levels for players using slower balls:

10.1 for players using green balls on a full-size court.
10.2 for players using orange balls on an 18-meter court.
10.3 for players using red balls on an 11-meter court.

Once players can "serve, rally, and score," they should get a rating. This helps them find other players of a similar skill level to play with.

International Player Identification Number (IPIN)

In late 2004, the ITF started a new IPIN program. IPIN stands for International Player Identification Number. All players who play in ITF Pro Circuit tournaments must register online. IPIN is now also used for the ITF Junior, Seniors, and Wheelchair Circuits. A player's IPIN is three letters followed by seven numbers. It is given when a player registers. It stays the same throughout their career. Once registered, players can use the IPIN website. They can enter and withdraw from ITF tournaments. They can also get tournament information and updates. They can also see details about any rule breaking. The yearly IPIN registration fees change depending on the ITF circuit the player chooses.

Integrity in Tennis

The ITF manages the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP). It does this for the sport and as a member of WADA. It also managed the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) until 2020. This was done through its independent group called the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU). In 2021, the TIU moved out of the ITF. It became part of the new International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). This happened after a full review of cheating in the sport. The TADP is also planned to move to the ITIA.

Past Issues

Tunisian Tennis Federation Fine

In October 2013, Tunisian player Malek Jaziri and Israeli player Amir Weintraub were supposed to play. This was at the 2013 Tashkent Challenger. However, Jaziri pulled out of the game. According to Jaziri's brother, Jaziri was told to withdraw.

The Association of Tennis Professionals looked into it. They found that Jaziri had not done anything wrong. But the Tunisian Tennis Federation had interfered with the game. This went against the ITF's rules. Because of this, Tunisia was suspended from the 2014 Davis Cup competition. ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said, "There is no room for unfair treatment of any kind in sport or in society. The ITF Board decided to send a strong message to the Tunisian Tennis Federation that this kind of action will not be tolerated."

Israel Tennis Association Fine

A Davis Cup game was planned between the Israeli and Belgian national tennis teams. It was set for September 14, 2013, in Antwerp. This date was on Yom Kippur, a special holiday for the Israeli team. The Israeli team asked to move the game by one day. The Belgian team said no.

The International Tennis Federation stepped in. They moved the game by one day. They also fined the Israel Tennis Association over $13,000. This was for the trouble of rescheduling.