'Watch the ITF Masters World Champs, the quality will surprise you'
The ITF Masters World Championships for players aged 30-45+ get underway on Sunday in Manavgat, Turkiye. Matt Byford, the ITF’s Executive Director of Juniors, Masters and Beach Tennis previews the showpiece event which promises to be gripping, with the odd sprinkling of stardust thrown in for good measure.
It is always an exciting moment when the first ITF Masters World Championships of the year get underway, and everyone at the ITF is really looking forward to Sunday when the action starts.
These World Championships are taking place in Manavgat, Turkiye for players aged 30 and over through to 45 and over, with players competing in five-year age increments. The Team Championships are up first and will feature 126 unique teams, with more than 400 players expected for the Individual Championships from 15 March.
Last year was a real highlight in terms of World Championships. All four events were outstanding including the first ever in Asia, which was really important given the level of potential which exists across the Asian continent.
We hope that staging the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan can be a real stepping stone in terms of boosting Masters Tennis participation in Asia even further following an impressive year in 2024.
World Championships are a real driver of participation and essentially what we want to do is deliver exciting events in great locations, which is most certainly the aim over the next fortnight. We hope to excite and engage players, and provide them with the fuel and motivation to want to compete more throughout the year.
The forthcoming World Championships will be held at the Ali Bey Club, which is a wonderful venue we have used many times for events of this magnitude over the last 20 years or so. Returning there is exciting for the players and for us as team.
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It will only be the third time that the 30+ age category has featured at a World Championships and that younger age group is important to us and one which we want to tap into.
Seeing players within this age category (players who turn 30 this calendar year through to 34) compete at a World Championships will hopefully motivate others in that age group to take a close look at our calendar, play ITF Masters events and perhaps strive to represent their nations.
Participation within the 30+ age group is building. Germany has been the dominant force so far and that is linked to atrong domestic competitive structure for adults, while participation is also high in the United States.
Participation across other nations varies, and in some instances more work needs to be done, but this is a really good place for players of this age to stay engaged in tennis and play regularly.
There is added excitement building ahead of the upcoming World Team Championships because former Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan striker Diego Forlan will be representing Uruguay.
Diego will join teammates Alberto Brause, Alfredo Bruce and Augusto Ricciardi in contesting the Dubler Cup, which is the team event at the World Championships for men aged 45 and above.
The 45-year-old will be the most famous person to compete at a World Championships outside of the tennis eco-system, although we have had big names from the ATP and WTA Tours previously.
From ⚽️➡️🎾
— ITF (@ITFTennis) February 7, 2025
Former Manchester United striker @DiegoForlan7 will write another chapter into his tennis story next month as he competes at the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour World Championships in Türkiye 📍
Read the full story here 👓 https://t.co/VQ25ujj5PM pic.twitter.com/VSZ4B83II7
Diego is clearly a good tennis player, but it will be really interesting to see how he gets on as he will be coming up against some very good players – the best in his age group.
I’m sure he is looking forward to getting out on court and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Ali Bey Club, while his presence over the next week or so can potentially take Masters Tennis beyond its normal fanbase.
There are, however, other names of note competing. Former ATP Top 10 doubles player Aisam Qureshi, who is also the President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, and Aqeel Khan will represent Pakistan. Qureshi and Khan will feature in the Dubler Cup alongside Diego Forlan.
We really do wish all players representing their nations well. These World Championships are unique in the sense that very good tennis players are playing but the event still retains a festival feel.
For most players, tennis is not their full-time profession, they play recreationally but they still have a burning desire to compete, win and represent their nations with pride.
As in professional tennis, results at the World Championships will be primary for the players involved, although the founding principles of ITF Masters Tennis, such as camaraderie, competitive spirit and the sheer enjoyment of playing, are still visible in abundance.
So, as always, a big thank you to the Ali Bey Club and the Turkish Tennis Federation for hosting this wonderful event. Each day there will be live streams available on the ITF website – tune in, you will be surprised by the quality of tennis on show!