Meet the ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel: Olivia Tjandramulia

Last month, the ITF announced the players elected to the newly-created ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel. The members will sit on the Panel until the end of the 2021 season and for two-year terms thereafter.

We spoke to all the players on both the men's tennis and women's tennis panels, to find out about their tennis careers to date and their hopes for what they can achieve during their time as panel members. We began our series by speaking to Aldin Setkic and Conny Perrin last week.

Today we hear from Olivia Tjandramulia, a 23-year-old player from Australia. Tjandramulia moved on to the professional circuit after a successful junior career which saw her reach No. 37 in the ITF junior rankings. In her five years as a pro, she has reached a career-high WTA ranking of No. 350 and finished runner-up at three ITF World Tennis Tour events. Here's what she had to say...

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I started playing tennis at four years of age back in Jakarta, Indonesia where I was born. Then our family moved to Australia when I was eight years old and we settled in a small country town up in Queensland called Rockhampton. A couple of years later, I started competing at national tournaments where I won the 14-and-under, 16-and-under, and 18-and-under Nationals. 

I spent a lot of time on the ITF junior circuit from 13 years old and I was fortunate enough to compete at all four Grand Slams as a junior. I also competed in a couple of ITF pro circuit events in the later years of my junior career. At 18, I decided to turn pro and transitioned fully onto the ITF pro circuit events. I’m 23 now and I’ve been on the tour ever since.  

My best moment is definitely winning the Australian 18-and-under National Championships in Melbourne back when I was 17 which earned me a wildcard spot into the qualifying of the Australian open. Having the chance to play a Grand Slam and being around the top players was very inspiring, and to be able to see and experience what it’s like to be at the top. 

I decided to run for the ITF World Tennis Tour Player Panel because I wanted to give back to tennis. It has given me so much and I also wanted to make a contribution not just on the court but off the court as well. 

I want to become the bridge between the ITF and the players communication-wise. By keeping the players informed, explaining to them reasons behind any decisions made by the ITF and mitigate any misunderstandings between the two parties. 

I am ready to give all my energy to listen to the players’ needs and transmit them to the ITF as much as possible in order to work all together and make a better future for tennis for generations to come. 

I think this is crucial as this will reduce the number of misunderstandings between the two parties. I want the players to feel recognised and included so that we all can work together through the difficult and challenging times – just like what we are experiencing now.