Launch of the ITF and IC Player Mentoring Programme

The IC Council is proud to announce the launch of the ITF and IC Player Mentoring Programme, in partnership with Give Learn. This unique initiative is designed to support players as they navigate the demands of professional tennis and plan for life beyond the game.

The programme will offer players on the ITF tours the opportunity to be matched with an experienced mentor from the worlds of finance, technology, entrepreneurship and beyond — someone who can offer guidance, perspective and a genuine connection outside of tennis.

Over the course of twelve months, participants will receive eight one-to-one sessions with their mentor alongside four group workshops covering topics such as building your personal brand on LinkedIn, starting a business while competing, financial planning, and preparing for a career after tennis.

Whether a player is thinking about their next chapter or simply wants to grow beyond the court, this programme could be for them.

Players can apply by logging in to the ITF website at itftennis.com using their IPIN. The deadline for 2026 applications is 30 June 2026.

For more information, contact player.care@itftennis.com

Become a programme mentor

Our global IC community is full of individuals who have built successful careers in a wide range of fields and may have valuable experience to offer participants on the ITF and IC Player Mentoring Programme as mentors.

In particular, we’d like to hear from IC members who have:

• Industry expertise — a recognised leader or specialist in their field with a track record that players can learn from and credibility that commands respect
• Genuine desire to give back — motivated by impact rather than profile, someone who sees mentoring as a privilege not a transaction
• Time availability — senior enough to be valuable, but not so stretched they can't show up consistently for a monthly session
• Cross-cultural awareness — comfortable working with young athletes from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, many of whom are navigating life outside their home country
• Commercial or entrepreneurial experience — able to help players think about life beyond sport, from brand building and investments to business foundations and financial literacy
• Emotional intelligence — understands the unique pressures of elite sport, can listen as well as advise, and knows the difference between coaching and mentoring.

If this sounds like you and you would like to be considered to become a programme mentor, please contact James Cluskey from Give Learn at j.cluskey@givelearn.net

The Compass Group - One of our key sponsors

Started in 1941 when they established factory canteens to feed British workers supporting the war effort, The Compass Group has grown today into a £18bn multi-national group with 516,000 employees.

The operations span 10,000 sites across the UK and Ireland alone, in the core sectors of Business and Industry, Healthcare, Education, Defence, Offshore and Remote locations plus Sport, Leisure, and Hospitality. They are also into cleaning and security contracts.

They supply catering to many major tennis events including Wimbledon, The French Open, The US Open, and The French Indoor (Bercy).

Their operations take place in all the countries where we have an International Club, (plus 10 more) so they are a very good fit.

Compass Group UK, were the original sponsors of The IC Junior Challenge. Initially, they only sponsored the European Junior Challenge, plus a subsidy for airfares to get the players to the World-wide finals.

Today they have increased their support and are now the title sponsor for all our Junior Challenges throughout the world, as well as the Finals.

So you can see why we are extremely grateful to The Compass group for their continuing support.

www.compass-group.co.uk