Silverware, ranking points and prestige will be up for grabs once W100 Charleston, SC – one of the most esteemed tournaments on the ITF World Tennis Tour – gets underway today.

The competition is one of 12 W100 events currently scheduled on the ITF World Tennis Tour calendar in 2022 and will feature a host of rising stars, who currently find themselves on the periphery of the WTA Tour.

Tournaments such as W100 Charleston, SC are a vital staging post during the season and within the wider prism of the ITF player pathway as competitors continue their journey in professional tennis.

Patrick Hieber is the W100 Charleston, SC Tournament Director and he is in no doubt about the significance of the ITF World Tennis Tour, both in terms of the opportunity it offers players on court, but also the life lessons it provides off it.

“ITF events benefit players by giving them a chance to compete in a high-level setting,” said Hieber.

“They allow players to earn world ranking points to qualify for the full WTA Tour and to make a living, to make prize money that will provide money for the next tournament they play.

“Tennis is just a great lesson for life. Overcoming defeat and bouncing back – you need a growth mindset to be successful in tennis. I think if somebody can have that tennis journey early in their life it makes them a very successful person.”

Hieber was speaking as part of an ITF World Tennis Tour promotional video in which tournament directors give their views on the value of the tour and the ethos of events which are so important in a player’s ongoing development.

Click here to follow live scores from W100 Charleston