Article 26 Apr 2023

Who, where, when: meet the GSPDP/ITF Touring Team travelling to Europe

Ross McLean

26 Apr 2023

What is the Grand Slam Player Development Programme (GSPDP)/ITF Touring Team?

Each year, groups of talented junior players from developing tennis nations are invited to join Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Teams, which are financed through the Grand Slam Player Development Programme.

This invitation allows players to travel as part of a team, have access to high-performance coaches and gain exposure to events outside of their region. Without the Touring Team, these players would not have the opportunity to compete at such a high level of competition, which is a key component of their development.

In January, Bulgaria’s Iliyan Radulov, who is now travelling to Europe, made the most of being on the Touring Team to Australia by powering through to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open Junior Championships.

There have been many other successes in recent years, perhaps none more so than Angella Okutoyi, who was raised by her grandmother in a Kenyan convent after her mother tragically passed away during childbirth.

Okutoyi’s story is a powerful one and the teenager has overcome significant odds to get to where she is today. The Touring Team gave her the chance to travel to the 2022 Australian Open Junior Championships where she reached the third round and made history.

More was to follow at Wimbledon in July 2022 as she teamed up with Rose Nijkamp of Netherlands to claim victory in the girls’ doubles, becoming Kenya’s first Grand Slam champion in any discipline. This shows the level of opportunity provided by the Touring Team.

During 2023, the Grand Slam Player Development Programme will have teams competing in all six regions globally and at ITF World Tennis Tour level, under-18 junior events and top-level under-14 regional and international events.

Having already travelled to Australia and South America, the Touring Team’s next stop is Europe.