The Tennis Europe Junior Tour, the competitive circuit where superstar players like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Victoria Azarenka won their first international titles, marks its 25th anniversary in 2015.
A host of festivities and special events are scheduled to take place throughout the season as Tennis Europe engages with the Tour’s 12,000 current players, as well as former stars, event organisers, national federations and the tennis-loving public. Amongst the plans are competitions, giveaways, social media campaigns and the publication of a special magazine.
Launched in 1990, the Tour has grown exponentially from its original 40 tournaments and in 2014 comprised of 342 events for players aged 12, 14 and 16 & Under. Most of today’s top players received a first taste of international tennis competition at a Tennis Europe Junior Tour event. Effectively a dress rehearsal for life as a professional player, in 2015 the Tour’s events range from entry-level tournaments to prestigious Category 1 events such as Les Petits As (Tarbes, 14 & Under) and Avvenire (Milan, 16 & Under), which are amongst the world’s toughest tests for players of these age groups.
The Tour’s greatest prize is the European Junior Championships, which celebrates its 40th edition this year. A total of 14 former and current world #1s feature amongst the gold medal winners at this event, which is played at 14, 16 and 18 & Under levels. The Tour also boasts a comprehensive ranking system, online entry and withdrawals, international team events (the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD, Nations Challenge by HEAD and European Summer Cups) and a season-ending Masters competition for the Top 8 players.
Tennis Europe CEO Olli Mäenpää commented, “We are very proud to be able to celebrate 25 years of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour and look forward to sharing its success stories throughout the season. Many of today’s top players have fond memories of their days on the Tour and have been eager to contribute. The Tour has a unique role in tennis development, not just in terms of the individual games of aspiring players of all levels, but also in bringing the sport to new territories and providing formative educational and social opportunities for the next generation of tennis players.”