The $8.6m investment and ITF modelling that helps players to Top 100
Thirty-four players who are currently within the Top 100 of the ATP and WTA Rankings have received grants to boost their career progression through the ITF-operated Grand Slam Player Development Programme.
The Grand Slam Player Development Programme was established in 1986 by the four Grand Slams and the ITF. The programme's purpose is to provide players from underrepresented nations with greater access to competitive pathways.
Since its introduction, the programme has contributed more than $68m to that end, with the financial commitment ensuring a host of players can overcome barriers so their talent is realised.
One aspect of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme is Grand Slam Player Grants. Introduced in 2017, grants are awarded on an annual basis to talented players – both junior and professional – from underrepresented nations who have met certain criteria.
Player Grants are often received at a crucial stage of an individual’s career when a monetary injection can have a sizeable impact and ease financial constraints. Earlier this year, 65 players were awarded Player Grants for the 2026 season.
Grand Slam Player Grants are financed by the four Grand Slams – Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open – but it is the ITF’s modelling which determines the players selected for support.
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“Grand Slam Player Grants reflect our commitment and that of the Grand Slams to expanding opportunities for players from all regions to reach their potential,” said Debbie Kirkwood, the ITF’s Head of Performance and Events.
“Many things contribute to a player reaching their full potential and enjoying a successful career, not least their own talent, dedication and hard work as well as support from their families and team, but financial assistance at such an important time certainly helps.
“Seeing a player grow, develop and realise their potential is such a privilege. It is such a sense of pride when a player we have detected – and has received developmental help, whether financial or otherwise – makes their mark.
“The ITF’s role is to provide opportunity – the opportunity not only to pick up a racket but the opportunity to progress along pathways which allow players to rise as far as their talent takes them. Grand Slam Player Grants and our modelling contribute to this.”
The ITF leads the world in providing a global pathway to the top of the game so players everywhere can chase their dreams. Player Grants are just one element of this pipeline to the game’s summit, but nevertheless a significant element.
Since 2017, 369 grants – typically between £12,500 and $50,000 – have been awarded to 234 unique players from 69 different nations. This represents a total investment exceeding $8.6m.To date, 63 of these players have reached the Top 100.
The majority of the 34 players who have received grants and are currently ranked within the Top 100 of either the ATP or WTA Rankings will feature at Roland Garros when the main draw gets underway on Sunday. These players are listed below:
Men:
Alexander Bublik (KAZ), Casper Ruud (NOR), Tomas Etcheverry (ARG), Francisco Cerundolo (ARG), Joao Fonseca (BRA), Mariano Navone (ARG), Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB), Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG), Hamad Medjedovic (SRB), Ignacio Buse (PER), Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG), Roman Andres Burruchaga (ARG), Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG), Daniel Vallejo (PAR), Dino Prizmic (CRO), Kamil Majchrzak (POL), Hubert Hurkacz (POL), Sebastian Ofner (AUT), Yibing Wu (CHN)
Women:
Elena Rybakina (KAZ), Wang Xinyu (CHN), Alexandra Eala (PHI), Magdalena Frech (POL), Zheng Qinwen (CHN), Solana Sierra (ARG), Renata Zarazua (MEX), Elena Ruse (ROU), Petra Marcinko (CRO), Camilo Osorio (COL), Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA), Anhelina Kalinina (UKR), Lilli Tagger (AUT), Daria Snigur (UKR), Lanlana Tararudee (THA)
The likes of Alexandra Eala, Dino Prizmic, Lilli Tagger, Daria Snigur and Lanlana Taraudee have all broken into the Top 100 during the first few months of the 2026 season – and have remained there.
“Receiving a Grand Slam Player Grant is a huge, huge help,” said Eala, who is a four-time recipient, with the support received totalling $100,000. “It was really a big help for me, and I’m sure for other players as well.
“For players who are supporting themselves, tennis is not a cheap sport: it’s hard to travel everywhere, you have to find those opportunities. The grants really help players venture out and find the right paths for them.”
He may now be well-established but in 2018 Casper Ruud received a grant of $25,000. He said: “The grant from the Grand Slam Player Development Programme helped.
“It’s humbling for players that are from small tennis countries to get some help financially because it’s a sport that can cost a lot. The more you develop, the more the cost will come because you will bring in more and more people.
“In the beginning, it’s crucial to have the financial backing.”
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Other Player Grant recipients, such as Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra, have featured in the Top 100 in recent weeks but are now just outside.
Once a player is officially ranked within the Top 100 of the ATP or WTA Rankings, their eligibility for the Player Grant programme ends the following year. A total of nine Player Grant recipients have reached the Top 100 in 2026.
The list of players to have reached the Top 100 shows the importance of the programme as well as the value of the ITF’s modelling and, as Ruud says, such financial awards are vital for players during the early stages of their careers. Here are some case studies:
The 16-year-old has just won the biggest singles title of her career at J500 Offenbach, a title which propelled her to a career-high No. 5 in the ITF World Tennis Tour girls’ rankings. Barros, who made her Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge debut for Brazil in April, this year received her third Grand Slam Player Grant. The support she has received through the programme totals $75,000.
Earlier this month, Wong won the maiden ATP Challenger title of his career at Jiujiang, becoming the first player from Hong Kong to win an ATP Challenger singles title. The 21-year-old is now within touching distance of breaking the Top 100 – a major milestone in any player’s career. Wong is a two-time recipient of Grand Slam Player Grants totalling $50,000.
Thilo Behrmann (AUT)
Behrmann won the biggest title of his career at J500 Cairo in April – the third title of a productive 2026 on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors. The 18-year-old received a Grand Slam Player Grant of $25,000 in 2025 – a year which acted as a springboard for his current campaign.
Dencheva claimed the biggest title of her career at W35 Santa Margherita di Pula on the ITF World Tennis Tour in April. The 19-year-old is another player to have received financial assistance through the ITF-operated Grand Slam Player Development Programme. She is a four-time recipient of Grand Slam Player Grants totalling $100,000.
2027 marks the 10th anniversary of the introduction of Grand Slam Player Grants. Further information on the players awarded grants since 2017 is available here.
There are many facets to the Grand Slam Player Development Programme and Grand Slam Player Grants are just one way in which the programme assists the ongoing development of talented players from underrepresented nations. Another key programme is the Touring Team which sees players invited by the ITF to join the team. Those players then travel as a team and have access to high-performance coaches. The programme largely eradicates financial constraints that may otherwise prevent players competing at a particular tournament or swing of a season. Find out more here.
The ITF has many development programmes of its own, which are visible around the world, grow the game and improve tennis for future generations. Indeed, the ITF reinvests 90 per cent of its income each year directly into the global development and long-term sustainability of the sport. Find out more here.