Debbie Kirkwood appointed Head of Performance and Events

The ITF has announced the appointment of Canadian Debbie Kirkwood as Head of Performance and Events in the ITF’s Development department.  

Kirkwood spent 25 years at Tennis Canada and has been instrumental in their success developing world-class players.  She served as Tennis Canada’s Director of High Performance from 2006 until 2020, having joined the organisation as national coach in 1994. Kirkwood started as a community club coach in Toronto in 1985 before progressing as a provincial high-performance coach. She has worked closely with the ITF over the years, attending ITF regional meetings in the Americas and coaches’ conferences around the world, and has also captained both the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Billie Jean King Cup teams.  

In this role, Debbie Kirkwood will play a vital role in the delivery of the ITF’s 2021-2024 Development Strategy and its mission to increase the number and standard of players worldwide. A key objective of the Development Strategy is to develop talented players particularly from nations that are currently under-resourced and under-represented. Kirkwood will oversee the key programmes that support these objectives, including the Grand Slam Development Fund/ITF International and Regional Touring Team and Player Grants programmes, and the ITF’s Regional Training Centres and Regional Training Camps. 

Kirkwood was a member of the ITF Coaches Commission from 2009 until February 2021, and was appointed as the coach representative to the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour Player Panel in 2020.  

Luca Santilli, ITF Director of Development said ‘We are delighted that someone of Debbie’s experience and expertise is taking on this important role at the ITF. Her work, along with that of her colleagues at Tennis Canada and their partners has helped Canada to develop many of the world class players we see representing the nation currently. She will be a brilliant addition to the ITF team working to develop the next generation of players.” 

Debbie Kirkwood said “After many wonderful years at Tennis Canada, I am very excited to join the team at the ITF, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with them to achieve their global mission, and make a difference in the lives of individuals via the sport of tennis.”          

Debbie Kirkwood started as Head of Performance and Events, Tennis Development, at the ITF on Monday 8 March 2021.