Jabeur and Li Benefit From Grand Slam Support

Written by: Staff on 5th June 2011

Jabeur and Li Benefit From Grand Slam Support |

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur and China’s Li Na, winners of the 2011 Roland Garros girls’ and women’s singles titles, are the latest champions to have benefited from the support of the Grand Slam® Development Fund.

Sixteen-year-old Jabeur defeated Monica Puig 76(8) 61 in the girls’ singles final on Sunday to become Tunisia’s first female Grand Slam champion. Jabeur was a member of the ITF/Grand Slam African 14 & Under Touring Team in 2008 and is currently receiving financial assistance through travel grants. Puig has also received travel grants.

Twenty-nine-year-old Li travelled to Europe for the first time as a 16-year-old in 1998 as a member of an ITF/Grand Slam Touring Team, supported by the Fund. She is part of a long list of players to have received help from the Fund, headed by three-time Roland Garros champion Gustavo Kuerten (BRA), Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) and three-time ITF World Champion Cara Black (ZIM).

A total of 30 players competing in the men’s and women’s singles events at 2011 Roland Garros have received Grand Slam Development Fund assistance.

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 nations, the Fund has become an effective means for the International Tennis Federation to fulfil its mandate to develop competitive tennis worldwide through its affiliated National Tennis Associations. The total funding since its launch in 1986 is around $75 million.

The Fund is designed to encourage the establishment of both junior and professional circuits, and to assist players directly, through touring teams or travel grants, to gain international competitive experience. This has helped increase the number of nations represented in mainstream international competition.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “The success of Jabeur and Li shows how important the ITF Development Programme is for the universality of the game. I would like to thank the Grand Slams for their continuing support through the Grand Slam Development Fund.”

FFT President Jean Gachassin said: “Looking back over the past 25 years, the French Tennis Federation is proud to have helped, through its financial contribution to the Grand Slam Development Fund, many talented young players from all continents play at the highest level. It will be happy to keep on contributing to a worldwide development of tennis.”