Leading independent education provider, Curro Holdings, is thrilled to announce that it will be hosting this year's highly anticipated International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Tournaments in partnership with Tennis South Africa (TSA) at Curro Hillcrest in Durban.
Following the tremendous success of last year's event, Curro is proud to bring the world's top under 18 tennis players to showcase their skills in what is widely regarded as the Gold Standard competition in junior and professional tennis.
The first tournament, the Curro ITF J200 Tennis Tournament sanctioned by Tennis South Africa (TSA), will kick off the exhilarating action from Saturday, 22 July 2023 to Saturday, 29 July 2023. This will be followed by the Curro ITF J300 Tennis Tournament, also sanctioned by TSA, and held at the same venue from Saturday, 29 July 2023 to Saturday, 5 August 2023.
During the two weeks, the world's top 60 ranked players in this age group will descend upon Durban to battle it out, making this the only junior event in Africa and one of the six premier junior tournaments in the world this year. The tournaments have become a must-watch event for young tennis enthusiasts to witness the rise of future stars. Many of the junior competitors use these tournaments as a steppingstone, eventually going onto compete in ITF Futures tours.
Jared Temlett, Operational Manager at Curro Sport, expressed his excitement about the upcoming tournaments, stating "Curro is committed to championing the development of young tennis athletes, which is a neglected space in South Africa. By hosting the ITF Junior Tournaments for the second time, not only are we supporting Tennis South Africa and contributing to the long-term growth of tennis in our country, but we are also giving the local community a unique opportunity to witness top-flight tennis in their own backyard."
Curro is renowned for its commitment to nurturing young tennis talent. Since 2015, the organisation has sponsored several tournaments in collaboration with TSA. Furthermore, through its High-Performance Academy, Curro provides funding for highly talented tennis players aged 12 and above. This support offers learners the necessary international exposure, bridging the gap caused by the lack of funding and South Africa’s geographical location.
TSA President, Gavin Crookes, expressed gratitude to Curro Holdings for their invaluable support in bringing these events to fruition. He highlighted the significance of this backing, stating, "This is a tremendous upliftment for high-performance junior tennis in Africa and a strong indication of TSA and Curro’s commitment to bringing more international events to South Africa."
"These events offer an excellent opportunity for our emerging junior talents to challenge themselves against the finest players worldwide, all within the borders of South Africa,” added Crookes.
Last year's event drew in an astounding 7 500 spectators over the two-weeks. Building on that success, Curro is expecting an even larger crowd this year, with seats for the semifinals and final days expected to sell out quickly.
Tickets for adults are priced at R50 and will be available at the gates or online at www.itickets.co.za. Learners from across the region will be granted free entry. Finals of both events will be broadcast live on SABC Sport.