The International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Monday, August 4, announced the appointment of former British tennis player Ross Hutchins as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Hutchins will assume office at the end of October. He will succeed Kelly Fairweather who announced that he will be stepping down after nearly a decade of leadership at the federation.

Formerly a professional tennis player, Olympian, Davis Cup player and Tournament Director, Hutchins has held various executive level roles at the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour for over a decade.

"It is an honour to be joining the ITF at such a pivotal time for the sport. The breadth of work the ITF undertakes is inspiring, and I’m excited for the challenge ahead. I look forward to working with the tennis family and our 213 member nations to ensure the sport continues to thrive both domestically and internationally,” Hutchins said after his appointment.

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ITF president David Haggerty said that the federation has built a strong momentum across various key areas like digital innovation, and in the restructuring of the federation’s tours to the introduction of a balanced calendar and now Ross brings the leadership, vision, and experience to the ITF that will help deliver its mission for the benefit of players, fans, and nations around the world.

During his tenure, Ross will oversee the ITF’s strategic direction, global operations, and the development of the sport worldwide.

His responsibilities include managing key events such as the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and Olympic and Paralympic tennis, as well as overseeing ITF Tours like Juniors’ World Tennis Tour, and Wheelchair Tennis.

The announcement comes as the ITF Juniors’ World Tennis Tour is currently taking place across various countries, including Rwanda, where the first week of the tournament got underway today at the IPRC-Kigali Ecology Tennis Courts in Kicukiro.