The Tennis South Africa (TSA), High Performance Department is introducing a new support structure, inclusive of grants to reward high performance players from junior to professional levels. Players will receive grants for reaching specific benchmarks relative to their age and gender. The intention and purpose of these grants is to inspire and financially support South African players in their pursuit of excellence on the world stage.
Download the Tennis SA Grants and Player Pathway Document here.
Included in this document are the benchmarks, and ranking goals to showcase a South African High Performance Player Pathway for players to reach the top 100 in the world. The document also shows the standards set by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and other leading tennis nations, giving players and coaches a global view of the performance expectations of promising players.
In addition to the grant structure and benchmarks, we have provided guidance on the recommended tournaments for players by age and gender, including the number of matches they should be playing and their win loss ratios. The recommendations are based on research obtained through the ITF and other nations, but are tailored to fit our unique South African tennis landscape.
The goal of the revised High Performance Player Pathway is to significantly shift the thinking of top players and coaches, and incentivise them to align their strategies with the top tennis nations around the world.
Lastly, the document highlights the ITF Touring Team criteria, and the criteria for the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund grants to further support their pathways to success.
TENNIS SA LONG-TERM PLAYER PATHWAY GUIDELINES
The Tennis SA High Performance Department has also development a long term player pathway guidelines document - Download Document Here.
A long-term player pathway is a systematic approach to maximize potential and increase the enjoyment of participants and athletes in our sport. It provides a framework for developing physical literacy, physical fitness and competitive ability, using a stage-by-stage approach.
The TSA player pathway outlines an optimal development plan based on growth, development and maturation for all individuals to participate in tennis and focuses on six training modes or stages along that pathway.
This document has been developed to ensure South African players, parents and coaches have a clear understanding of the six training models/stages as well as the competencies required for players aged 9 -12 years, 12- 15 years and 15 – 18 years – with a special focus on the U12 – U16 age groups.