World Tennis, formerly known as the International Tennis Federation before its rebranding in January 2026, held its ordinary general assembly in Almaty, Kazakhstan, running from October 11 to 13, where the Democratic Republic of the Congo was represented by federation president Georges Koshi Gimeya.
Global Development Goals and Grassroots Focus in Almaty
Delegates gathered in Central Asia to debate concrete targets for the sport’s expansion, highlighted by a governing body initiative to grow global tennis participation from 106 million to 140 million players by 2035. Discussions centered heavily on improving accessibility for juniors and children, upgrading training standards for coaches and match officials, enhancing court infrastructure, and streamlining the calendar for international competitions. World Tennis president David Haggerty emphasized the connection between local participation and worldwide growth during the three-day meetings.
We are the welcoming gateway to one of the most prominent sports in the world, followed by billions of people and driven by iconic global stars,
Haggerty said at the assembly. But let us not forget that tennis is born within local communities and that the efforts deployed by our member nations in their respective countries have a global impact. The work of our national associations, in collaboration with us, is essential to trigger this ripple effect.
Statute Overhauls and Landmark Tournament Renaming
The assembly voted through a series of administrative updates, including a complete revision of the organization’s foundational statutes. Alongside the legal restructuring, officials approved new nomenclature for several historic events on the international calendar. The Wheelchair Tennis Masters officially transitions to the Wheelchair Finals, with Barcelona confirmed as the host city for the upcoming tournament in November. Meanwhile, the World Tennis Masters team competitions for players aged 30 and over received new titles honoring legendary figures of the sport. The men’s events were renamed the Leander Paes Cup, while the women’s competitions will now run under the Marie Pinterova Cup.
Continental Alignment Through the African Tennis Confederation
Away from the plenary sessions, regional bodies convened separately to review continental strategies and coordinate positions ahead of upcoming governance votes. The African Tennis Confederation held its own dedicated meetings alongside the main assembly in Kazakhstan to harmonize regional development priorities across member federations. These regional workshops allowed leaders like Gimeya to align continental programs with the broader global targets set for the next decade.
