Building Pathways, Changing the Game: The WTA Coach Inclusion Program
When the WTA formalized its coach registration system in 2017, the numbers revealed a stark reality. Despite women’s tennis being a global sport rich with female playing talent, only three or four women were employed as coaches by WTA players. Even by 2021, women made up fewer than four percent of credentialed coaches at WTA events. The issue was not a lack of qualified women, but a lack of access, visibility and defined pathways.
That realization became the catalyst for the WTA Coach Inclusion Program.
From Pilot to Global Platform
The program began quietly with a pilot cohort in 2020. Designed with input from the WTA Coach Program Advisory Committee and national federation leaders, it focused on creating a structured, high-standard pathway into the professional tour environment. The overwhelmingly positive feedback led to a formal public launch in 2021, initially in North America.
Since then, the program has expanded rapidly to Great Britain, France, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, supporting coaches from more than 15 countries in just four years. What started as a regional initiative has become a globally recognized model for coach development and inclusion.
Exposure as the Missing Link
For Vivian Segnini, a former Top-300 professional player and longtime collegiate and ITF coach, the program addresses a gap she experienced firsthand. “One of the biggest barriers for women coaches is exposure,” Segnini says. “Male coaches often enter the tour pathway as hitting partners or sparring partners. That route rarely exists for women.”
The Coach Inclusion Program provides on-site tournament experience, mentorship and shadowing opportunities with established WTA coaches. Participants gain insight into elite-level preparation, communication and decision-making, while building networks that are otherwise difficult to access.
Measurable Progress on Tour
The impact of the program is now reflected in the data. By 2025, women accounted for approximately 15 percent of credentialed coaches at WTA events. Among registered WTA coaches overall, female representation has more than tripled since 2017, rising to nearly 19 percent.
Success stories continue to emerge. Program alumnae include Division I collegiate head coaches, ITF professionals and four graduates now serving as Billie Jean King Cup captains for their countries. Others have progressed directly onto the WTA Tour, coaching players competing at the sport’s highest levels.
Confidence, Validation and Career Belief
Beyond credentials, the program delivers something less tangible but equally critical: validation. Many women coaches report hesitation about coaching players who achieved more as competitors than they did themselves. Immersion at WTA events often changes that perspective.
“When they see how aligned their thinking is with what top coaches are doing, it reinforces that they already belong in this space,” says Mike Anders, who oversees the WTA Tour Coaching Program.
Building Community at the Top
An unexpected but powerful outcome has been the growth of organic support networks. Women coaches on tour have formed their own communities, sharing resources, advice and encouragement. Similar networks have emerged within each program cohort, connecting coaches across countries and continents.
For many participants, especially those working in remote or under-resourced regions, these connections are transformative.
Evolving the System, Not Just the Numbers
The WTA has also addressed structural challenges associated with tour life, including family responsibilities and travel demands. Expanded childcare access at tournaments, flexible coaching arrangements and additional accreditation options have made sustained tour coaching more realistic.
Looking ahead, the focus is on consistency and long-term impact rather than rapid growth. The goal is to continue refining the program, expanding access through federations and tracking how participants develop players over time.
A Clearer Path Forward
The long-term vision is cultural change. Rather than prescribing hiring decisions, the WTA aims to ensure players have access to the best possible coaching pool, one that reflects the full range of available talent.
“If we can reach a point where half of our registered coaches are women,” Anders said, “then choice becomes about fit and expertise. That’s what real inclusion looks like.”
In a sport built on individual journeys, the WTA Coach Inclusion Program is proving that when pathways are clear and opportunity is intentional, the entire game moves forward.
