Grand Slam Player Development Programme: 2022 Player Grant recipients
Forty-four junior and professional players will receive Grand Slam Player Grants in 2022, funded by the Grand Slam Player Development Programme.
The Grand Slam Player Development Programme (formerly known as the Grand Slam Development Fund) was established by the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments in 1986 to encourage and increase competitive opportunities for players from developing tennis regions. The Programme provides Grand Slam Player Grants to support players so that they can gain competitive experience at an international level, including at the Grand Slams.
Since its inception, the Grand Slam Player Development Programme has contributed more than $55 million to support player development.
In 2021, former Grand Slam Player Grant recipients Ons Jabeur, Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz made history and finished the year in the Top 10 rankings. Grand Slam champions Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Jelena Ostapenko and Gustavo Kuerten are also among the Programme’s alumni.
The following players will receive grants of up to $25,000 as a contribution towards competition-related costs, with the aim of aiding their development in professional tennis and enabling them to compete at Grand Slam tournaments:
Maria Lourdes Carle (ARG), Sasha Natalie Chimedza (ZIM), Rositsa Dencheva (BUL), Alexandra Eala (PHI), Aliona Falei (BLR), Lya Isabel Fernandez Olivares (MEX), Laura Hietaranta (FIN), Victoria Jiminez Kasintseva (AND), Yoana Konstantinova (BUL), Michaela Laki (GRE), Evialina Laskevich (BLR), Petra Marcinko (CRO), Celine Naef (SUI), Sada Nahimana (BDI), Maria Gabriela Rivera Corado (GUA), Solana Sierra (ARG), Daria Snigur (UKR), Johanne Christine Svendsen (DEN), Xiyu Wang (CHN), Vivian Yang (NZL), Renee Zhang (NZL), Qinwen Zheng (CHN), Duje Ajdukovic (CRO), Viacheslav Bielinskyi (UKR), Pedro Boscardin Dias (BRA), Gonzalo Bueno (PER), Eliakim Coulibaly (CIV), Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG), Nick Hardt (DOM), Jerome Kym (SUI), Jack Loutit (NZL), Leo Matthysen (RSA), Hamad Medjedovic (SRB), Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez (MEX), Juan Carlos Prado Angelo (BOL), Ajeet Rai (NZL), Jurij Rodionov (AUT), Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA), Juncheng Shang (CHN), Timofei Skatov (KAZ), Dominic Stricker (SUI), Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG), Chun Hsin Tseng (TPE), Kacper Zuk (POL).
Eight junior players also competed at the 2022 Australian Open Juniors as part of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme Touring Team, providing them with the opportunity to travel to and compete at the Australian Open under the guidance of an ITF Coach.
Greg Jones (AUS) led the boys’ team of Ignancio Buse (PER), Daniel Vallejo (PAR), Kalin Ivanovski (MKD) and Lautaro Midon Ballesteros (ARG) while the girls’ team, under the guidance of Roberta Burzagli (BRA), consisted of Aysegul Mert (TUR), Solana Sierra (ARG), Laura Hietaranta (FIN) and Angella Okutoyi (KEN).
Ugo Valensi, Executive Director of the Grand Slam® Board said: “On behalf of the four Grand Slams, we offer our congratulations to the 44 recipients of the 2022 Grand Slam Player Grants. We hope these grants continue the legacy of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme in helping to enable professional and junior players from developing countries to compete internationally in some of the world’s most famous events.”
David Haggerty, ITF President said: “At the heart of our development goals is that any player with talent, no matter where they live or what resources they have available to them, will have the chance to fulfil their potential. The recent successes of players like Ons Jabeur of Tunisia demonstrate the importance of this support and we thank the Grand Slam tournaments for their continued investment in the stars of the future.”
Click here for more information about the Grand Slam Player Development Programme