ITF confirms World Tennis Tour player panels for 2026-27
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has confirmed the results of the elections for the ITF World Tennis Tour player panels, with the incoming panel members to serve a two-year term in 2026-27.
The recent elections are the fourth since the player panels were established in 2020. Seven members have been elected to the women’s panel and five elected to the men’s panel. Both panels will continue to be chaired by Mary Pierce (women’s) and Mark Woodforde (men’s), who also serve as athlete representatives on the ITF Board of Directors.
The panels are a forum for players to provide their input and have their say on how the tour is run, with members elected by their fellow players. The elected members will meet at least two times per year and can make recommendations to the ITF World Tennis Tour Committee, which in turn reports to the ITF Board of Directors.
A coach may also be appointed to both panels, following consultation with the ITF World Tennis Tour Committee and with the player panels. The chair and the coach are non-voting members.
Mark Woodforde said: “We would like to thank the outgoing panel members for their commitment to making improvements for all players on the ITF World Tennis Tour over the last two years – a period in which the tour has continued to grow around the world. Feedback from the player community is vital as the tour further develops, and we look forward to working with the new cohort of player panel members throughout 2026-27.”
Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi, who served on the women’s panel in 2022-23 and has been re-elected for the 2026-27 term, said: “I am delighted to have been elected by my fellow players and excited to return to the women’s World Tennis Tour panel. It’s so important that the players have a voice in decisions which affect the Tour. My previous experience with the women’s panel in 2022 and 2023 was very positive and I look forward to working with the other elected members of the women’s player panel in the coming weeks and months and hope that we can continue to improve professional tennis at all levels.”
The elected players are as follows:
Women’s Player Panel
Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi (IND)*
Natalia Fehr (SUI)**
Yuliana Lizarazo (COL)
Clervie Ngounoue (USA)
Angella Okutoyi (KEN)
Oana Georgeta Simion (ROU)
Saumya Vig (IND)
Men’s Player Panel
Parth Aggarwal (IND)**
Ammar Faleh Alhogbani (KSA)
Alec Beckley (RSA)
Anton Chekhov
Stefan Cooper (GBR)
*served during 2022-23 term
**served during 2024-25 term
To ensure broad geographical representation, there is a limit of two players per region on both the men’s tennis panel and the women’s tennis panel. Additionally, there is a limit on the number of players in the highest-ranking band on each tour’s panel (a maximum of two players with ATP rankings of No. 351-500 in either singles or doubles for the men’s tennis panel; a maximum of three players with WTA rankings No. 151-300 in either singles or doubles for the women’s tennis panel).