PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The WTA announced Thursday the launch of a new coaching initiative geared toward attracting, developing and retaining female tennis coaches. The Coach Inclusion Program aims to break down barriers and provide opportunities for women looking to enter coaching at the professional level.

The new program will focus on increasing the number of female coaches in the WTA by promoting professional and grassroots coaching as a compelling career choice to current and former female athletes and coaches, as well as developing targeted education mentorship and career guidance from other successful coaches. The new initiative is an extension of the WTA Coach Program, which was established in 2017 to professionalize and recognize the important role of coaching on the Hologic WTA Tour.

“The Coach Inclusion Program is an important step toward diversifying and broadening our coaching pool,” WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said. “It is crucial for our organization to promote and provide coaching career pathways for women, as well as for our former athletes, to have an opportunity to learn and grow in this crucial coaching role.”

The program is divided into three phases:

  • Phase One: Participants will experience a week of offseason training during the week of Dec. 5 with several WTA players under the guidance of WTA registered coaches and world class coach-educators provided by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) at the Gooding Todero Academy and the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
  • Phase Two: Participants will undergo a 10-week online Level 1 Performance Coach Certification course provided through the PTR, with regular live meetings from leading industry experts.
  • Phase Three: Participants will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge while gaining valuable exposure within the WTA environment by shadowing an existing WTA coach and player at a WTA tournament.

Participants of the program will have the opportunity to receive their coach certification, valuable industry contacts and a robust alumnae network.

Interested U.S-based applicants 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, with considered criteria including prior high performance coaching experience, playing experience, current or previous certifications held, and/or nominations from a supporting federation.

The WTA Coach Inclusion Program is supported by the PTR, USTA, and Modern Health.