Career transition
The LTA's committed to helping support players keen to explore a second career as they transition from playing professional tennis. We have a variety of internal and external support channels to help you with this, whether you're still playing and just want to put some plans in place for the future, or you've decided to retire and want to investigate immediate career options.
Our two main support opportunities are via:
- our Player to Coach Pathway and,
- the LTA Careers in Tennis Pathway
Both aim to keep players in the game they love. As a player, you'll have accumulated a significant amount of industry experience and knowledge which is hugely beneficial and useful within other tennis roles. We can also offer opportunities and support for those players looking for roles outside of tennis, where many of your skills are easily transferred and sought after.
Support options
Our support options include:
Career Exploration – Supporting you to evaluate your next step. If you're unsure of which career route you want to take after playing we can support you explore your options. We offer 1-2-1 bespoke confidential coaching which can include exploring a variety of career ideas, emotional & transition support plus self-awareness & personality profiling.
Player to Coach pathway – For those of you considering a career in coaching, we have a programme that offers current or former world-ranked players a fantastic opportunity to utilise their expertise and experience, and translate this into a coaching career. This is a tailored programme to suit each player’s individual circumstances, ensuring we instil the skills and knowledge required at the start of the coaching journey.
Below is an overview of the programme:
See below for the 2023 ranking targets players would need to achieve to be part of the Player to Coach pathway programme:
|
Player Type (ranking body) |
Ranking cut off / career high |
|
ATP |
Top 750 |
|
WTA |
Top 750 |
|
ATP/WTA doubles |
Top 250 |
|
Wheelchair |
Top 50 |
|
ITF Junior |
Top 25 |
If you're interested in becoming a coach in the future and want to have an initial discussion about the Player to Coach support on offer, please contact Katharine.Dearing@LTA.org.uk
LTA Careers in Tennis pathway – The LTA's delighted to offer various opportunities for informal chats, work experience and support within LTA business departments to help you understand the different career paths that exist within the tennis industry. Opportunities are available in areas such as event management, marketing, officiating, media & communications, HR and many more.
Skills Development – Identify the many transferable skills of a professional tennis player and how these can be used to positive effect. For example: interview & communication techniques, public speaking & presentation, financial management, leadership, emotional resilience.
Further Education – Exploring the many varied and flexible study and apprenticeship options, including short courses, degree options and bespoke courses aimed at athletes.
Recruitment – Support to help you put together a CV, apply for jobs and prepare for interviews. We can also provide links to recruitment companies & support organisations specifically aimed at helping players looking for jobs outside of tennis.
Leadership, Mentors & Networking – We work with a number of former players, as well as members of the wider tennis community, who're keen to share their knowledge and experience. We'll help to facilitate meetings in both informal and structured environments to support your transition and exploration of a new career.
If you’d like to explore your options, have a chat or are interested in any of the above please contact Rachel Newnham, Performance Lifestyle Lead on 07507 640092 or rachel.newnham@lta.org.uk
Business of tennis
There are various career opportunities within the tennis industry which play a pivotal role in the future growth and development of the sport. These range from Coaching and Officiating Pathways to working for Official Tours, National Federations, Governing Bodies (ITF, IOC), Sports Management/Media agencies, Tennis Product/Apparel and Technology companies.
There are a wide variety of roles across these business areas including marketing and communications, event operations, athlete representation, commercial sales, media, broadcasting and many more. To find out more information on some of these areas within the LTA go to our careers hub below:
If you're interested in exploring any of the business areas above please contact Rachel Newnham, Performance Lifestyle Lead on 07507 640092 or rachel.newnham@lta.org.uk