Tennis Governance Explained: ITF vs ATP vs WTA

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What Do Tennis Governing Bodies Do? 

There are various governing bodies in tennis that act to protect the integrity of the sport, make changes to and enforce rules and regulations and promote the game of tennis around the world. 

All major sports have a governing body. It is effectively their job to manage the direction that the sport is going, as well as uphold professional standards. 

In tennis, the overarching governing body is the International Tennis Federation (ITF). However, the ITF sits alongside the men’s and women’s professional tours and the Grand Slams, all of which have their say in how the sport should be run. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at exactly what each of these tennis entities do, and how they can shape the future of the sport.

The Tennis Governing Bodies Explained

The major governing bodies in tennis are the ITF, which covers all forms of professional tennis. The ATP governs men’s tennis and the WTA governs women’s tennis.

ITF

The ITF is the overarching governing body of professional tennis. Their role is to manage rules and regulations, international competitions, marketing the sport, and enforce measures to maintain integrity. It was founded in 1913. 

The ITF put on a number of tournaments themselves throughout the tennis calendar, at different levels of the game.

These include lower-level satellite tournaments, all the way up to the Hopman and Davis Cup, the Olympic games, and World Junior Finals. 

The ITF is also the governing body of professional wheelchair and beach tennis. 

Their role is to work with the ATP and WTA to promote the game, manage the professional calendar, and ultimately are the overall authority on all things professional tennis. 

Whilst most of the most prestigious professional tennis tournaments outside of the grand slams are run by the ATP and WTA tours, the ITF enforces anti-doping, anti-corruption, and other ethical regulations.

ATP

Founded in 1972, the ATP forms the premier division of men’s tennis. It hosts the most prestigious tournaments on the men’s calendar and provides the official world rankings. 

ATP tournaments are split into a number of tiers, which include:

• 250
• 500
• 1000
• ATP World Tour Finals. 

The numbers here represent the total ATP ranking points on offer to the winner of each event. The end-of-year world tour finals offer 1,500 ranking points to the winner, and each of the prestigious grand slam events offers 2,000 points.

Although grand slams offer the most ATP ranking points, they are independently managed events. 

The ATP also has a player council which represents the interests of male professional tennis players and effectively acts like a union. The players are able to lobby for higher shares of prize money and enhanced welfare rights through the player council.

WTA

The WTA is the governing body of women’s tennis and was founded in 1973. Throughout its history, it has been spearheaded by Billie Jean King and has fought for equal pay for female tennis players. 

The WTA has a number of tennis tournament levels, including: 

• 125
• 250
• 500
• 1000
• WTA Finals. 

In a similar way to the ATP, WTA tournaments are represented by the total number of points given to the winner of each event. 

The WTA organizes and hosts the top tier of professional women’s tennis tournaments, with the second tier being the WTA 125k series. This is the total prize pot for this level of tournament. 

There has been talk of the ATP and WTA tours combining to represent both men’s and women’s tours under the same banner, however to date, this has not occurred in practice.

Grand Slams

The grand slams of tennis are the most converted and prestigious events in both the men’s and women’s calendars. They represent the pinnacle of the sport and with only 4 of these events taking place per year, it is no wonder that the best players in the world want to peak at them. 

The best players of all time are judged on the number of grand slams they have won, which goes to show just how important they are to the legends of the game. 

These major tournaments are overseen by the ITF in terms of general rules and regulations, and offer ATP and WTA ranking points, but are ultimately governed by their respective country’s national governing body for tennis. 

This means that whilst the grand slams have a vested interest in the ITF, ATP, and WTA, they are also technically their own stand-alone events. 

Each of the grand slams offers different levels of prize money, has its own deciding set scoring, and ultimately offers a different playing experience for their participants. 

So, let’s take a closer look at each of the grand slams and see why they are so prestigious in their own right.

Australian Open

The first grand slam tournament of the year is the Australian Open. Known as the ‘happy slam’ due to its friendly staff and fantastic organization, the Australian Open is the first major test of the year for professional tennis players. 

This is where we see who has been putting in the hard yards in the short tennis off-season, and who’s been enjoying their holidays a bit too much! 

In recent years, Novak Djokovic has dominated the Australian Open, winning the title a record 10 times. The Australian Open is played on relatively slow hard courts, so suits a modern counter-punching game style like Novak’s.

French Open

The French Open, or Roland Garros to give it its official title, is the only grand slam played on clay. There is a lot of history associated with French clay, and it is often thought of as the most physically and mentally grueling grand slam to win. 

The high bounces and slow court speed of clay make this a great environment for more defensively-minded players to thrive. Roland Garros has of course been dominated by the King of Clay Rafael Nadal,winning it a staggering 14 times. 

The French Open historically has been one of the slower slams to change its ways, opting to stick with tradition rather than move with the times, unless prompted by media pressure.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is the most unique and historic grand slam of them all. Played on the hallowed grass courts of SW19, Wimbledon is arguably the most prestigious and sought-after grand slam that most professional tennis players dream of winning. 

The tournament organizers at Wimbledon like to strike a balance between innovation and tradition. 

Their strict all-white dress code is a unique feature of the event, but they have also led the way by offering show courts with retractable roofs. Wimbledon is a very special event and has been dominated by both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer over the past couple of decades.

However, there’s a new kid on the block in the form of current World number 1, Carlos Alcaraz. Has the summer of 2023 seen the passing of the baton?

20-year-old Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in one of the most memorable finals, taking five hard-fought sets to raise the trophy. It will be interesting to watch his progress!

US Open

The US Open is the boldest and biggest of the grand slams. The largest stadium in the sport, Arthur Ashe, sits at the US Open and it represents the lively nature of the event. 

The US Open has seen a number of different champions on both the men’s and women’s side and often represents a coming-of-age opportunity for a number of up-and-coming players. 

There are always a lot of commercial opportunities at the US Open and colourful, loud outfits are encouraged by the New York crowd. This is the grand slam that tends to be the most inviting to casual fans, and as such can get a bit rowdy at times.

Played on acrylic-topped hard court surfaces, the ball tends to bounce high, creating a dynamic game perfectly suited to the rowdy audience!

Tennis Governance: The Sport in Good Hands

Overall, tennis governing bodies play a major role in the world of tennis. This enforces and makes the rules that all tournaments, players, and officials have to abide by and keep the sport in check. 

The ITF, ATP, and WTA are tasked with representing the interests of the players, the officials, tournament organizers, and sponsors, so it’s fair to say they don’t have an easy task. 

However, they all work in tandem to try and promote the sport of tennis and move it forward in a positive direction. 

If you enjoyed this article about the different tennis governing bodies and want to find out more, check out these posts: 

• How to Start Playing Tennis Tournaments (A Simple Guide)
• What Are the Major Tournaments in Tennis (& Ones To Watch)?
• Tennis Singles Strategy: 9+ Top Tactics to Win More Matches