CENTURION, October 21, 2021 (Tennis South Africa Press Release)
Tennis South Africa (TSA) has confirmed two further weeks of ITF World Tennis Tour prize money events for men and women to take place in December 2021.
The Strand Tennis Club, in the Western Cape, will host two weeks of men’s $15 000* prize money events and two concurrent weeks of women’s $25 000* prize money events. The tournaments will take place during the weeks commencing the 6th and 13th December, respectively.
The new ITF prize money events follow on from a successful swing of three weeks of ITF World Tennis Tour events – for men and women – that took place in September in Gauteng.
The events form part of the ITF World Tennis Tour, which is the umbrella name for all former ITF pro circuit (Futures) and junior circuit tournaments and serves as the ITF’s pathway from the junior game into the elite levels of professional tennis. As such, they will attract a mix of the best South African juniors, local fledgling professionals, as well as international players – both from Africa and abroad.
It is currently a busy period for international tennis events in the country. Next week, Cape Town will play host to the Samaai Junior Open – an ITF Junior Grade A event. ITF Junior Grade A events are outside of the Junior Grand Slams, the highest level of international junior ranking tournaments and the Cape Town event has attracted a world class field of top international and local junior players.
*Why the difference in prize money between the men’s and women’s events? The ITF is looking to encourage more $25 000 women’s events across the globe and so has provided TSA with funding support to upgrade the women’s events.
