Promise to power: Helping to polish tomorrow's gems
Mention the name Jelena Ostapenko and the majority of tennis fans will immediately recall the Latvian’s triumph over Simona Halep during the 2017 Roland Garros final.
But reference the 21-year-old in other circles and different memories will be rekindled. Ostapenko received considerable support through the Grand Slam Development Fund (GSDF), was a member of several junior touring teams and was a recipient of GSDF travel grants.
Ostapenko is not alone. The list of those players to have received assistance from the GSDF or to have featured as part of an international touring team, which is financed by the GSDF, is long and distinguished.
Juan Martin del Potro, who won the 2009 US Open, was a member of the COSAT 14-and-under GSDF team which toured Europe in 2001 and the South American 14-and-under team which travelled to the same destination a year later.
In addition, the likes of Zhang Shuai, Simona Halep, Thomaz Bellucci, Grigor Dimitrov, Li Na, Gustavo Kuerten, Nicolas Massu, Leander Paes, Victoria Azarenka and Ricardas Berankis have all received assistance from the GSDF.
In essence, the venues may have grown in stature and the tournaments increased in grandeur, but the names of those performing on those courts, whether at under-14 level or at the loftiest of Grand Slam heights, remain the same.
The Grand Slam Development Fund was originally established in 1986 to encourage and increase competitive opportunities in developing tennis regions. With annual contributions from the four Grand Slam tournaments, the Fund has become an effective means to develop competitive tennis worldwide.
The Fund is designed to assist players directly, through touring teams or travel grants (now known as Grand Slam Player Grants), to gain international competitive experience. This has helped increase the number of nations represented in Grand Slam tournaments and other international competitions. The fund has contributed more than $50 million to tennis development since its inception.
Speaking in 2017, Chile’s Cristian Garin, who is now ranked No. 37 in the men’s world rankings, said of his GSDF assistance: “It is a big help for my career. It is difficult to pay for everything, so the grant really has helped me a lot and I am very happy to be a part of this – it is an honour.”
Now boasting a world ranking of No. 55 in the women’s game, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia echoed Garin’s sentiments. “It is unbelievably good for me,” she said. “I am playing better since I received this help and it’s great not always thinking about the expenses. I can just go on the court and play my game.”
In 2017, as a 22-year-old, Jabeur received a $50,000 grant that would help transform her career. After beginning the year ranked No. 193, 2017 marked her breakthrough season as she contested her second career WTA quarter-final in Taipei before, as a lucky loser, becoming the first Arab woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Roland Garros. She would eventually finish the year inside the Top 100.
“It was a great moment for the help to arrive because I really needed the funds,” added Jabeur earlier this year as she reflected on the financial assistance she received through the GSDF. “Maybe I was waiting for this kind of ‘punch’.”
In January, it was announced that 29 players from 20 nations had been selected to receive the 2019 Grand Slam Player Grants. One recipient was Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.
“I didn’t know there was such a thing as the GSDF,” he said. “My manager said, ‘you’ve got $25,000 for your tennis travel expenses’. I was like, ‘oh great, now I can bring a fitness trainer with me’. I was so happy.”
If the ITF’s #MyCourt campaign has highlighted one thing, it is that every journey starts with a first step.