International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the international governing and administrative body for the sport of tennis. The International Tennis Federation comprises 202 member nations subdivided amongst 6 regional governing bodies. The declared mission of the International Tennis Federation is to promote tennis globally and regulate the rules of the game.
International Tennis Federation History
The International Lawn Tennis Federation was established on the 1st of March 1913, when the national federations of 14 lawn tennis playing nations met in Paris to create an overarching regulatory body. The primary role of the Federation was to ensure uniformity in the rules of the game, and cooperation between the various national federations.
Since the turn of the century the International Tennis Federation’s membership list has grown rapidly, and its role in determining the course of international tennis has become more prominent and important.
In the last century the International Tennis Federation has overseen and enforced some of the most significant changes in the sport, including the shift to professionalism, the organisation of a women’s tour, the replacement of white tennis balls with yellow and the introduction of the tie-break to the sport. The word ‘lawn’ was only dropped from the organisation’s title in 1977.
ITF Tournaments
The International Tennis Federation is directly responsible for organising, marketing and running some of the most important international tennis tournaments in the world. These include the Davis Cup (which predates the ITF), the Fed Cup and Olympic tennis.
Besides international tournaments, the International Tennis Federation is closely involved in the four most important annual tournaments, the grand slams, which it established in 1923 as the world’s ‘official championships’.
The International Tennis Federation also organises and promotes a number of smaller competitions, including the Japan Open, the International Championships of Spain and the Italian Championships.
The involvement of the International Tennis Federation in global tennis does not stop at the professional level. The organisation promotes and organises international events for junior and senior players as well as developing the organisational structure and suitable events for disabled tennis players.
A portion of the revenue earned by the International Tennis Federation from these events is invested in the further development of tennis as a global game.
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