The ITF World Tennis Masters Tour has enjoyed its most successful year yet, with a record 552 tournaments taking place across 68 nations in 2023 (up from 508 in 61 nations in 2022).

In total, 42,300 players registered to compete on the ITF Masters Tour, with tournaments held throughout Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Central America, Oceania and Asia.

The World Team and Individual Championships took place for age groups from 30-90, with the first ever 100-year-old tennis player, Henry Young, competing on the Masters Tour. The Masters World Championships counted Lisbon, Mallorca and Ali Bey, Turkiye, amongst its hosts in 2023. Entries were stronger than ever at the World Championships, with a record 157 teams participating in the 65-85 Cups, 87 teams in the 55-60 Cups, and 160 teams in the 30-50 competition.

The pinnacle events of the Masters Tour also produced a number of individual highlights. Former ATP and WTA players lit up the 30-50 World Championships in Manavgat, Turkiye. Matteo Viola led Italy to a gold medal in the men's 35 Italia Cup, while former WTA #161 Anne Schaefer sealed victory for Germany in the augural women's 30 Team Cup. In the 55-60 World Individual Championships in Lisbon, winners came from eight different nations representing five continents.

History was made in the 65-90 World Individual Championships, as centurion Henry Young competed in the 90+ singles and doubles events. Elsewhere, legendary American Roz King retained her titles in the women's 85 events, as did Australian Glenn Busby and Chilean Jaime Pinto Bravo. The Japanese duo of Emiko Saito and Chizuko Shigemitsu lit up the women's 90 event, taking home the gold medal in the doubles.

Players from 14 different nations topped the year-end singles rankings across the 30-90 singles age groups, while players representing 12 different nations achieved the prestigious feat in the doubles rankings.

Busby accrued the most points in all of the men's singles divisions, finishing a dominant year with 4,600 world ranking points. Busby, who comfortably won the singles and doubles titles at the 65+ World Individual Championships - in addition to the Teams Gold with Australia - remained undefeated for the entire year. The Australian also racked up titles at the MT1000 Swan Hill, MT1000 Melbourne and the MT1000 Mallorca.

On the women's side, another Aussie topped the polls in terms of world rankings points accrued. Ros Balodis, also in the 65 and over category, racked up 4,550 points during the year to finish year-end number one. Like Busby, Balodis achieved the rare feat of winning gold medals in both the Individuals and Teams World Championships, as well as titles at the MT1000s in Melbourne and Swan Hill.

On the men's doubles side, three Americans share the spoils for most world ranking points won in 2023. Polo Cowan accrued 4,300 points across the year to finish number one in the 60+ doubles rankings, while Brent Abel and Brian Cheney also achieved the same total to top the men's 75+ rankings. 

On the women's side, American Liane Bryson finished as the outright leader in terms of points won. Bryson notched up titles at the 75+ World Individual Championships, the MT1000s in Houston, Rancho Mirage and La Jolla, and MT700s in Palm Desert and Germantown. If that wasn't enough, the American also was undefeated in the 75+ Queens Cup at the Teams World Championships, winning the silver medal for the USA.

The range of age groups competing on the ITF Masters Tour has never been more apparent. The youngest players on the 2023 Tour were born in 1993, many of whom were 29-years-old at the time of the competing, with the oldest born 70 years earlier in 2023.

Of all the players finishing 2023 in the top 10 of the Men's World Masters Tour singles rankings, Jasper Cooper played in the most number of events (15) - helping him to finish sixth in the world for the 70 and over category. Cooper had a prolific year on Tour, dominating the British tournaments by winning the MT700s in Wrexham, London and Eastbourne. Cooper also took home the title in the MT700 Istanbul and MT700 La Manga.

Italian Laura Vittori notched up an impressive 16 tournament appearances in 2023, helping her to finish the year at No. 9 in the 60+ women's singles rankings. Karien Theeuwes, of the Netherlands, matched that total in the 65+ division, helping her to finish tenth in the year-end rankings.

While there is so much from 2023 to celebrate, the new ITF World Tennis Tour Masters season is only days away. 2024 promises to be another campaign full of fabulous tennis where names will be made, and reputations enhanced.

To view the full 2024 ITF Masters Calendar, click here.

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