ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA -- The WTA announced today their partnership with Tennis Australia to expand the Coach Inclusion Program into the Asia Pacific region. The Coach Inclusion Program, currently into its second season in North America, is geared towards attracting, training, and developing women coaches, with the goal of breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for women entering professional tennis at the coaching level.
This Coach Inclusion Program collaboration between Tennis Australia and the WTA will have similar aims to the North American and upcoming British Program, with the overarching goal of increasing the number of women coaches on the Hologic WTA Tour by promoting professional coaching as an achievable and ideal career. Participants will receive training at an offseason workshop, participate in virtual training sessions, and shadow WTA coaches and players onsite. This version of the Program will serve women coaches in Australia and the Asia Pacific region only.
“The WTA Coach Inclusion Program has already seen remarkable success and has made a significant impact on many women coaches. We are thrilled to announce the program's expansion into Australia and Asia, and we eagerly anticipate working alongside the WTA Tour in these regions,” said Nicole Pratt, Tennis Australia Women’s Coach Lead & Women’s National Team Coach. “Personally, I am excited about the opportunity to join as a coach mentor and contribute to the development of the next generation of women coaches on Tour. The growth and inclusion of more diverse coaching talent will undoubtedly strengthen the sport and inspire many aspiring women coaches.”
“As a High Performance Coach myself, the opportunity provided by the WTA Coach Inclusion Program for coaches to gain international exposure is an exceptional experience,” said Jaslyn Hewitt-Shehadie, Director of Player Relations at the WTA. “We hope the expansion of this Program will continue to move the needle and grow the number of women coaches in professional tennis.”
The Tennis Australia and WTA Coach Inclusion Program will begin in October 2024 at the Hong Kong Tennis Open. The Program is set to include the following educational opportunities:
Applications for the Program are now open. Candidates can apply by sending their coaching resume to the WTA Coach Program at coach@wtatennis.com. Program participants will be selected at the sole discretion of the Coach Program Advisory Committee.
For more on the WTA Coach Program, click here.
