Frederic Fontang & other leading coaches explain why the World Tennis Conference matters: 'Having constant education is key'

Coaches Corner

Fontang & co. explain why the World Tennis Conference matters: 'Inspiration, knowledge & guidance'

Top ATP coaches will take part in the sixth edition of the unique development program

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Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is coached by Frederic Fontang. By ATP Staff

Leading ATP Tour coaches Frederic Fontang, Alberto Castellani, Louis Cayer, Liam Smith, and Claudio Pistolesi have highlighted the growing importance of the World Tennis Conference as one of the most valuable educational platforms in the sport.

As the event returns for its sixth edition, many of the sport’s most respected coaching voices have emphasised how the conference is helping shape the future of tennis by connecting elite coaches, former players and sport science experts from around the world.

WTC6, which runs from 26-29 March as a four-day virtual event, connects elite coaches, former players, sport scientists and educators, offering global access to insights that are rarely available in one place.

"To have a constant and permanent education is key to process transversal knowledge and keep brain plasticity for everyone,” said Fontang, coach of No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Felix Auger-Aliassime. “Every coach should be an example of this, be a good generalist and surround yourself with expertise and more knowledge. In that sense, to be participating and learning from any coach at WTC6 is a very powerful experience, which will give to all coaches a lot of inspiration, knowledge, and guidance.”

The conference has grown steadily in both scale and reputation, bringing together some of the most influential voices in professional tennis. For Castellani, President of the Global Professional Tennis Coach Association (GPTCA), that growth reflects the sport’s commitment to professional development and collaboration.

"As President of GPTCA I’m very proud to see how WTC is, every year, increasing the quality of each tactical-technical, mental, physical, and cultural presentations done for more than 64 speakers in this year,” said the Italian. “A lot of former Top 15 players and top coaches of the best players are presenting. It’s a great honor and opportunity to watch them make contributions.”

Sign up on the official World Tennis Conference website: "Dream big. Coach better."

That exchange of ideas is one of the defining features of the event. Leading coaches from across the ATP Tour share their experiences working at the highest levels of the sport, alongside experts in areas such as performance science, analytics and player development.

For renowned doubles specialist coach Louis Cayer, who has guided multiple British players including the current Doubles World No. 1 Neal Skupski, the value lies in keeping coaches open to new perspectives.

“The continuous education keeps our minds open to new ideas and helps us improve our approach to coaching players,” said Cayer. “Each year, the WTC plays an essential role in bringing coaches and experts together each year to share knowledge and methodologies that help us grow in all areas of player development which from my point of view is a key factor to develop better coaches. This makes a huge difference for coaches.”

The sixth edition will also feature an impressive lineup of additional speakers recently confirmed for the programme. Former Doubles World No. 1 Max Mirnyi joins the roster alongside some of the sport’s most respected coaching figures, including Toni Nadal, Samuel Lopez, Anton Dubrov and Gilles Cervara.

The accessibility of the event has also played a major role in its growing global reach. Delivered entirely online, the conference allows coaches from around the world to learn directly from some of the sport’s most respected figures without the need to travel. According to Smith, who coaches Jenson Brooksby, that accessibility could shape the future of tennis coaching.

“The WTC creates a unique opportunity for coaches to be able to learn from some of the world's most renowned players, coaches, and educators, and it's a master stroke for the future of the game,” said Smith. “The WTC brings together former ATP and WTA players, coaches, and sport science experts. It’s an extraordinary event for coaches.”

Former ATP Tour coach Pistolesi, who has worked with players including Robin Soderling and Simone Bolelli, believes that openness and collaboration are what define great coaches.

“To be a coach means to share ideas, to keep learning and to have an open mindset to new concepts, because every top coach knows that sharing helps growth,” said Pistolesi. “WTC shows to the tennis industry why and how many top coaches are in that position.”

That philosophy of development and connection lies at the core of the event’s vision. Founded by high-performance expert Fernando Segal, the conference aims to build stronger coaching ecosystems that ultimately benefit players and the wider sport.

"At the World Tennis Conference, we bring together many leaders who understand that development is structured systems that build people first and performance second,” Segal said. “The interconnection with top coaches, leaders, and scientist information is creating powerful ecosystems where: Better systems produce better coaches. Better coaches develop better players. Better players elevate the culture and awareness about tennis and people.

“Development of players is a great responsibility, and responsibility begins with better education. WTC is pure love for tennis.”

As the sixth edition approaches, the message from the sport’s leading coaches is clear: in an increasingly complex high-performance environment, the pursuit of knowledge remains one of tennis’ greatest competitive advantages.

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