Inside the doors at 34 Rue de Provence in Paris, 15 nations become the inaugural members of the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) at the first general conference in Paris: Australasia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain. French is chosen as the official language.

The ILTF votes not to take part in the 1928 Olympics following the disrupt and disorder of the 1924 Paris Games.

Image courtesy of the International Tennis Hall of Fame

The International Ball Committee is set up to enquire into the standardisation of tennis balls worldwide. The committee recommends that “the ILTF should endeavour to procure an apparatus designed and constructed which will enable balls to be readily and accurately tested at speeds at which the game is played".

After ten years of division and struggle within the ILTF an emergency meeting is called in Paris on 30 March and 47 nations agree in principle to open tennis. The ILTF receives sponsorship to organise Grand Prix tournaments allowing players to compete openly and legally for money.

The ITF takes over formal responsibility for Davis Cup from the Davis Cup Nations. Veterans tennis is also incorporated into the ITF. Two years later, the ITF restructures Davis Cup into a 16-nation World Group and feeder zones.

Wimbledon makes the first of what it pledges will be an annual donation of £100,000 to help the ITF’s efforts to develop tennis worldwide. The other Grand Slams follow suit, establishing an initiative now known as the Grand Slam Development Fund.

The Tennis Anti-Doping Programme is adopted by the ITF, ATP and WTA and includes a set of fixed standards that the three main bodies must adhere to as well as a strong educational component. It becomes exclusively managed by the ITF four years later, in 1997.

The world’s most advanced tennis-specific research facility is housed at the ITF. Also in 1998, Wheelchair tennis is subsumed into the ITF, making it the first disabled sport to achieve such a union at international level

210 member nations come together to celebrate 100 years of the ITF, while Fed Cup celebrates 50 years of the women's team competition

The ITF launches a new international event featuring the world’s top eight ranked boys and girls and designed to help the best young players transition to the professional game. Hosted in Chengdu, it is later renamed the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals.

The ITF aligns with the ATP and WTA in cancelling events and suspending all Tours for six months in response to a Covid-19 Pandemic that brings the world to a relative standstill.