It is perhaps not be the most exciting of topics, but it is a vitally important one. It also feeds into core ITF principles of building a pathway to the top and creating opportunities for players to chase their dreams.

At every M15 and W15 event on the ITF World Tennis Tour, there are up to three main draw spots available for players ranked within the Top 100 of the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings. These are known as Junior Reserved places.

So far in 2025, 180 individual players have been accepted into the main draw of ITF World Tennis Tour events using Junior Reserved places, with 588 Junior Reserved places used in total across the world.

On 13 occasions, a player using a Junior Reserved place has won a tournament. Furthermore, there have been 25 instances of a player reaching at least the final while using a Junior Reserved place and 47 instances of them making the semis or better.

Ava Rodriguez of the United States, who is currently ranked No. 91 in the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings, is a prime example of a player who has used Junior Reserved places to great effect.

The 17-year-old enjoyed a productive campaign during 2024, winning three junior titles – two at J60 Guatemala and one at J100 Cali, which remains the biggest accomplishment of her career so far.

While she has continued to compete on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors this season, reaching the final at J300 San Jose and J100 Delray Beach, she has also been keen to take the next step in her career.

After three defeats in qualifying, and one occasion when she navigated qualifying but lost in the first round, Rodriquez was accepted into the main draw at W15 Orlando, Fl using her Junior Reserved place.

Once there, the teenager chalked up her maiden main draw match-win at an ITF World Tennis Tour event before bowing out in the second round to Poland’s Olivia Bergler.

More was to come, however, as earlier this month Rodriguez again used a Junior Reserved place, this time to enter the main draw at W15 Huamantla where she duly reached the final.

“Competing at tournaments like that means a lot,” said Rodriguez.

“The Junior Reserved places have really helped me. The hard work I put in during juniors is now giving me the opportunity to play in the main draw at ITF World Tennis Tour events.

“I've played a couple of ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments throughout the season and the transition from juniors was hard at first, but I have upped my training and I am doing my best. My goal for the rest of the season is to win an ITF World Tennis Tour event.”

Introduced in 2019 alongside the launch of the ITF World Tennis Tour, Junior Reserved places have proven enormously beneficial to players as they progress towards higher-level ITF World Tennis Tour events and ATP and WTA tournaments.

So long as a player – boy or girl – is at least 14 years of age and ranked within the Top 100, they will be considered for entry into the main draw of the ITF World Tennis Tour event through a Junior Reserved place.

When all players wishing to utilise a Junior Reserved place at a given event are known, the three boys or three girls with the highest ranking will be offered a place in the main draw.

There is no limit to the amount of Junior Reserved places a player can use each season, with this – along with the Junior Accelerator Programme – a way of rewarding talented juniors with exposure to higher-level competition.

The ITF will continue to create opportunities for talent to rise.