'Inspire a new generation': World Tennis Tour returns to Zambia
Just over a year ago we brought you details of Zambia becoming a member nation of the International Tennis Federation again following a 12-year absence. Things have progressed since.
Within minutes of Masunga's arrival, representatives of the Zambia Tennis Association (ZTA) were expressing an interest in staging ITF World Tennis Tour events. At the time this seemed a dream, but soon it will be reality.
Starting on Monday, Zambia will host back-to-back J30 events – entry-level tournaments on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors – at the Lusaka Club, which boasts six clay courts, in the nation’s capital city.
It will be the first time that Zambia has hosted any form of ITF World Tennis Tour event since 2003. The last was also a junior tournament, while the most recent pro tournament was a men’s ITF World Tennis Tour event in 1995.
Hosting ITF World Tennis Tour events is only one step on the journey which Zambia are now on. But it is a vitally important step when it comes to growing the game and strengthening tennis for future generations.
“This is a momentous occasion for Zambia,” said ZTA President Lighton Musonda. “Hosting ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors events again after more than two decades is a major milestone for the development of tennis in this country.
“It presents a valuable opportunity for our players to gain exposure to high-level competition and compete against some of the best junior players in the world.
“This experience is essential for raising the standard of the game locally and inspiring the next generation of Zambian tennis players. We need to provide more Zambian players with opportunities to compete on the international stage.
“Competing internationally is essential for player development. As the saying goes, 'to be the best, you must compete with the best'. Players in the wider region will also benefit greatly from participating in international competition.
“These players will gain valuable match experience, improve their competitiveness and expose themselves to higher standards. This exposure not only strengthens individual players but also contributes to the overall growth of tennis in the region.”
The ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors enjoyed another outstanding year in 2025 and for the first time more than 1,000 tournaments – 1,048 to be precise – were staged across a single season.
During 2025, Maldives hosted an ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors event for the first time, while Burundi, Cambodia and Cuba all returned to the calendar as hosts nations – a moment of real significance for these nations.
Of the 1,048 tournaments, more than 150 were hosted by African nations, which is in stark contrast to 2015 when 44 ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors events were hosted in Africa across 12 nations.
This underlines the ITF's ability to transcend borders and enable more tennis experiences than any other organisation. To that end, there is a healthy entry of regional players for the first J30 Lusaka event.
Home favourites Kombe Jr Mabo, Mukangwa Brooklyn Siame and Yula Ulendo are set to feature in ether the boys' or girls' draw, while other Zambian players will contest qualifying.
“There is real excitement in Lusaka and across Zambia as the nation prepares to host its first ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors event since 2003,” said Matt Byford, the ITF’s Executive Director of Juniors, Masters and Beach Tennis.
“The ITF is proud to provide a global pathway of opportunity for players to go as far in the game as their talent allows. Talent is everywhere and, as such, supporting talented players from less represented nations is a key purpose of ours.
“During the next couple of weeks, players from Zambia, and indeed the Southern Africa region and perhaps beyond, will have the opportunity to test themselves in an international environment.
“This is so important for the ongoing development of tennis in Zambia, and by events being hosted at home hopefully many more people across the nation will be inspired to pick up a racket."