'Tennis for all': International Tennis Federation changes name to World Tennis

The governing body of world tennis has officially changed its name from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to World Tennis, marking the first major rebranding in its 113-year history.Founded in 1913, the organisation is responsible for setting and enforcing the rules of tennis, overseeing international competitions and running events such as the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup and tennis competitions at the Olympic Games. It also manages the sport's development around the world and the levels of competition below the main professional tours.

As part of the announcement, World Tennis said it would reinvest 85% of the income it generates each year over the next decade back into the sport.World Tennis president David Haggerty said: “Today is an opportunity to redefine our role at the heart of world tennis and pledge our commitment to ensuring a strong, sustainable future for this brilliant sport. World Tennis reflects who we are, our global footprint and unique mandate.”He added: "Tennis is already one of the world's largest sports. But we want to shout from the rooftops to anyone who hasn't discovered us yet, 'Tennis for all!' and most importantly, tennis for you."

The move follows similar rebranding exercises by other international sporting bodies, including World Athletics, World Aquatics, World Gymnastics and World Rugby.The name change was approved by national tennis associations during the organisation's annual general meeting in October last year.Based in London, World Tennis works alongside the ATP and WTA Tours and the four Grand Slam tournaments — Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon Championships and US Open — in managing the professional side of the sport.World Tennis chief executive Ross Hutchins said the new identity better reflects the organisation's role in the sport.“A lot of people think of the T7 as seven governing bodies when in fact they're not seven governing bodies. They actually have different purposes, which all add together to equal a big pie of a sport.”He added that the rebranding reflects the organisation's “global nature.” "World ⁠Tennis shows the global nature of us, shows the focal point of us as an organisation."The announcement comes days before Wimbledon begins on Monday, where Serena Williams is set to compete in singles for the first time in nearly four years.