ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The WTA will partner with the LTA this year in expanding the Coach Inclusion Program into Great Britain for the first time, with applications opening in September. The program will focus on increasing the number of women coaches on the Hologic WTA Tour by promoting professional coaching as a compelling career choice to current and former women athletes and coaches based in Great Britain. Coaches will receive the chance to shadow WTA players and coaches, mentoring and access to specialist resources. The program has already run successfully in North America for the past year, and this will be the first extension of the program to Europe.

“Building on the success of our very own Female Performance Coach Engagement Programme, we are excited to be partnering with the WTA to give our female coaches unprecedented access, insight and opportunity at the very top of the game,” said Nick Weal, Head of Performance Coach Education & Development at the LTA. “This is an important step toward increasing the number of female coaches on the tour and will hopefully help build their confidence by providing specialized support and opening doors.”

“Alongside our partners at the LTA, we are thrilled to expand the Coach Inclusion Program to Great Britain,” said Mike Anders, WTA Director of Member Services. “This program has proven in North America to be an excellent start toward increasing the number of successful women coaches on tour and will continue to be an exciting opportunity for British women to be equipped with the tools and training to coach at the highest level.”

The LTA and WTA Coach Inclusion Program will begin in December 2024. The program is set to include the following stages:

  • Phase One (December 2024): Participants will experience a week of offseason training in December with several WTA players under the guidance of WTA registered coaches and world-class coach-educators.
  • Phase Two (January – April 2025): Participants will receive individualized support from an experienced performance coach and qualified LTA mentor, who will support them as they cover a range of key performance topics relevant to their development. The group will have access to the Performance Coaches Institute and will be brought together for regular live meetings from leading industry experts.
  • Phase Three (Summer 2025): Participants will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge while gaining valuable experience within the WTA environment by shadowing an existing WTA coach and player at multiple WTA tournaments.

The 2024 Coach Inclusion Program in North America currently includes 10 participants and is set to conclude later this fall. The coaches recently applied their knowledge on site, shadowing active players and coaches at the Miami Open presented by Itaú and the Credit One Charleston Open. They are set to finish their onsite training this year at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto, the Cincinnati Open, and the Guadalajara Open AKRON presented by SANTANDER.

Applicants can register their interest now by sending their coaching resume to the WTA Coach Program at performancecoachsupport@lta.org.uk, with applications officially opening on Sept. 2. Program participants will be selected at the sole discretion of the Coach Program Advisory Committee.

For more on the WTA Coach Program, click here.