Record numbers for innovative World Participation Conference
The 2021 ITF World Participation Conference attracted record numbers as well-known figures from the world of tennis and beyond discussed the theme of ‘innovating to drive participation in sport’.
The third edition of the event, which was held virtually on 12-14 July, saw twice as many viewers engaging with discussions this year as there were attendees in-person at the 2019 conference in London.
Viewers got a first-look at the headline statistics from the forthcoming 2021 ITF Global Tennis Report, which revealed that tennis participation has increased globally, despite the impact of the pandemic. In fact, it appears that tennis has benefitted more than most sports over the last 18 months due to the fact that it can be played socially distanced.
The new report is an important and timely update to the 2019 Global Tennis Report, which was the first time a worldwide picture of performance and participation had been established in tennis. The data provides crucial insight that informs the ITF’s Global Development strategy, which sees more than $10 million invested each year to ensure the sustainability and long-term health of tennis.
With innovation and technology being the key theme this year, the final panel session provided an update on the ITF’s eagerly-awaited World Tennis Number, which will enable players all over the globe to find opponents of the same level and track their progress.
Former world No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Hingis, who was one of 33 speakers, closed the conference on Wednesday and while she feels advances in technology have helped to make coaching more effective, it is the simple idea of making the game more enjoyable that she believes is the key to a long-lasting relationship with tennis.
“Most of the time it’s family members that are the first drive to introduce you to the game,” explained Hingis, who is currently trying to expose her own daughter to the sport she loves so much. “Then the coach helps to make you better and actually enjoy the game. That’s the really crucial point. It takes a really good coach to catch the attention of children, to have fun that they want to come back and play more tennis.”
Another theme that came up in a number of the discussions was the importance of playing as part of a group – especially for young girls – and the Swiss star explained that was precisely the reason that she got hooked on tennis.
“For me, it was really the group drive,” she said. “I had a really good friend at the court who was five years older than me and I knew that if I wanted to play with her against the boys then I would have to get better or be thrown out of the group!
“That made me want to go back and prove myself. Winning is a driving motivation. You have that feeling of getting better and wanting more – that’s the key to success. Especially for children, it builds self-confidence, and getting a medal was the highlight of the tournament.”
Another well-known figure from the world of tennis, Judy Murray, gave the key-note speech on Tuesday and the former Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup captain spoke about what innovation means to her.
“It means always being aware of the world according to whoever is in front of you,” explained Murray. “Since I started coaching we have seen a massive increase in all the technology that goes around sport – whether you’re watching it or whether you’re playing it or whether you’re delivering it.
“For me, it’s about understanding the world of whoever is in front of you and adapting to that world because, tennis, like other sports, is competing with so many other things for attention, and we have to make sure that our products and our delivery and our environments are top notch and that people want to come to them and remain in them.”
Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body of cycling, Innovation Manager Michael Rogers – himself a former time trial world champion – joined the conference on Monday to talk about his organisation’s approach to esports and how they are using technology in order to target a younger demographic.
“Digital is a tough place in the sense that it’s not tangible, a digital product is different,” explained Rogers. “You have to have a very defined and clear strategy to onboard users and give them that first taste. It’s true in the digital space that first impressions really do last.
“Younger generations don’t feel that a membership with a federation is important. You can be part of the tribe through a telephone, whereas in other generations that was through a national federation or as part of a club that is affiliated with a national federation.
“In that sense, I think elitism will be challenged by the tidal wave of digital innovation and the risk is that younger generations have less of a relationship with international and national federations and more with commercial products.”
International Olympic Committee Director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC Relations James Macleod was delighted to be invited to speak at the conference and hoped to be able to attend in person the next time the event takes place.
“The ITF World Participation Conference has always been important for the IOC,” explained Macleod. “We have a lot of discussions on a regular basis with the International Tennis Federation and it’s only natural for us to be able to use opportunities like this to talk to the national federations and the people involved in the sport.
“I think tennis has great opportunities because it has some amazing competitions throughout the year in different parts of the world, which allows people to see the elite of the elite competing on the global stage.
“The ITF has been able to put in place some very rigorous Development programmes, whether it’s for athletes, for coaches or officials and all of those programmes have got to happen on a global basis. Where the ITF has done very well is that global outlook. To understand that tennis, per se, is available and accessible across the world.”
The three-day virtual event was open to everyone who registered for a fee of US$9.95. The content from this year’s conference, as well as the previous two ITF World Participation Conferences, will be made available through registration on the ITF Academy platform. Registration to the ITF Academy provides access to over 150 educational courses and content.