Tennis Europe Press Release, February 5, 2020
The ATP and the European Tennis Federation have announced plans to collaborate on the Tennis Europe Junior School, the pioneering educational program designed to prepare young athletes aged 13-16 for life as professional tennis players.
The School content is available online for all players. Interactive live classes will also be held at 10 of the biggest European junior tournaments in 2020, where boys and girls can learn about topics including:
- Anti-Doping
- Safeguarding
- Nutrition and Hydration
- Agents and Sponsorship
- Media and Social Media
By supporting the project, the ATP can now contribute to the selection and creation of content tailored specifically for young male players, send experts to Junior School classes, and advise on a wide range of topics in the Junior School curriculum.
Ross Hutchins, ATP Chief Player Officer, said: “Expanding our player education programmes and reaching the world’s best players at a young age is a key priority for the ATP. We look forward to working with the Tennis Europe Junior School with the objective of ensuring that emerging talents are as well-equipped as possible to deal with the future demands of life on the professional Tour.”
Tennis Europe CEO Thomas Hammerl initiated the project in 2018 and commented, “We are delighted to have the collaboration of the ATP for this project, which means we are now working with both governing bodies, the ATP and WTA. Education is a vital part of our strategy and with this agreement we ensure that players receive consistent and correct information on important topics for their professional careers. The feedback from players, parents, coaches and federations has been fantastic and motivates us to continue to invest in this area.”
The Tennis Europe Junior Tour consists of more than 400 tournaments held in 48 European nations for the 12, 14 and 16 & Under age groups, and celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2020. Over 20,000 registered players are eligible to compete on the Tour, with the top 8 qualifying for the season-ending highlight, the Junior Masters in Monte-Carlo.
The Junior School adds an educational aspect to the formative on-court experiences provided by the Tour. All scheduled classes in 2020 can be found here.
