Who will benefit from the Junior Accelerator Programme in 2025?
What is the Junior Accelerator Programme?
The Junior Accelerator Programme has been in place since 1 January 2023 and rewards the best-performing juniors – boys and girls – each year with exposure to higher-level competition.
The Junior Accelerator Programme replaced Junior Exempt positions which were previously offered to the best-performing junior players, although the new programme – which operates in collaboration with the ATP and WTA – offers far greater rewards.
The underlying principle is to ensure aspiring talent has the opportunity, encouragement and support to advance in their career and progress along the player pathway.
In short, the initiative is designed to accelerate the progression of the world’s best boys and girls as they take important steps within professional tennis and continue their quest to reach the game's summit.
What does it mean for boys finishing within the year-end Top 20?
Each player ranked within the Top 20 of the year-end ITF World Tennis Tour boys’ rankings is granted up to eight Accelerator Spots at ATP Challenger Tour 50 and 75 tournaments the following season.
These will be split between main draw (boys finishing within the Top 10) and qualifying (boys finishing 11-20 in the rankings), with players also eligible for two Accelerator Spots at M15 or M25 ITF World Tennis Tour events.
Players ranked 21-30 in the year-end ITF World Tennis Tour boys’ rankings are eligible for eight spots at M15 or M25 events the following calendar year.
And for girls finishing within the year-end Top 20?
For each player ranked within the Top 20 of the ITF World Tennis Tour girls’ rankings, there are five opportunities to access main draws at women’s events on the ITF World Tennis Tour – from W15 to W100 level, depending on ranking.
Girls finishing in the Top 20 are entitled during the next calendar year to use their Accelerator Spot to gain direct entry to the main draw of an applicable tournament which they would otherwise not the eligible for based on WTA, ITF or national ranking.
Who has been awarded Accelerator Spots in 2025?
Boys
By finishing in the Top 10 of the 2024 ITF World Tennis Tour boys’ year-end rankings, the following players are eligible for eight ATP Challenger 50 or ATP Challenger 75 main draw Accelerator Spots and up to two main draw places at M15 or M25 events:
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR), Mees Rottgering (NED), Kaylan Bigun (USA), Rafael Jodar (ESP), Rei Sakamoto (JPN), Maxim Mrva (CZE), Luca Preda (ROU), Charlie Robertson (GBR), Jan Kumstat (CZE), Hoyoung Roh (KOR).
It is worth noting that the winners of boys' Grand Slam singles events would earn the equivalent places of a Top 10-ranked player regardless of their year-end ranking, while boys' Grand Slam singles runners-up earn the equivalent places of an 11-20 year-end ranked player.
Girls
Having finished 2024 as the year-end No. 1 girl, Australia's Emerson Jones has earned a main draw place at three ITF World Tennis Tour events up to and including W100s, and two tournaments up to and including W75s in 2025.
USA’s Iva Jovic, meanwhile, finished No. 2 in the 2024 year-end rankings, earning main draw places at two tournaments up to and including W100s and main draw places at three tournaments up to and including W75s.
Tyra Caterina Grant (USA), Mika Stojsavljevic (GBR), Jeline Vandromme (BEL) and Wakana Sonobe (JPN), who finished Nos 3-6 in the year-end rankings, have earned main draw places at ITF World Tennis Tour events on a sliding scale.
Teodora Kostovic (SRB), Kristina Penickova (USA), Tereza Krejcova (CZE) and Elizara Yaneva (BUL) finished Nos 7-10 in the year-end rankings. They have earned main draw places at two events up to and including W50s and main draw places at three events up to and including W35s.
Who made the most of their Accelerator Spots in 2024?
Tereza Valentova (CZE), currently No. 188 in the WTA Rankings, used two Junior Accelerator places during 2024, reaching the quarter-finals at W50 Lopota and winning W35 Sharm-El-Sheikh in April 2024. She started the 2024 season ranked No. 690.
Joel Schwaerzler (AUT) won the Skopje Challenger in May 2024 having reached the quarter-finals at the Tallahassee Challenger in April 2024 - both with the use of Junior Accelerator places. Schwaerzler rose from No. 1157 in the ATP Rankings in December 2023 to No. 333 in December 2024 with the help of six Junior Accelerator places.
Kaitlin Quevedo (ESP), currently No. 312 in the WTA Rankings, reached the semi-finals at W35 Casablanca in June 2024 and the final at W50 Saint Palais sur Mer in September 2024 with the use of Junior Accelerator places. She started 2024 ranked No. 739 and used five Junior Accelerator places during the 2024 campaign.
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR), currently No. 452 in the ATP Rankings, reached the semi-finals at M25 Santa Marguerita di Pula in September 2024 and the final at M25 Antalya in November 2024 with the use of Junior Accelerator places. Budkov Kjaer was ranked No. 731 in September 2024 and used a total of six Junior Accelerator places during the 2024 season.