The Championships are due to be held at the Nottingham Tennis Centre from July 20 to 27.

Sanctioned by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), the new World event enhances the existing calendar of major international deaf tennis events, which currently includes regional championships in Europe, AsiaPacific and the PanAmericas, as well as the Dresse and Maere Cups, the World Team Championships of deaf tennis.

These regional Championships and the Dresse and Maere Cups have traditionally been held on a different four-year cycle to the Summer Deaflympics, which also features five tennis medal events.

As well as men's and women's events, the inaugural World Championships will also feature a junior element as players can compete in the World Youth Championships.

"I've had the idea for a new World Deaf Tennis Championships for individuals since 2010, because for several years we had only the regional championships, the Dresse and Maere Cup and the Deaflympics," said Tobias Burz, technical director for tennis for the ICSD.

"Many new deaf tennis nations have low numbers of players of each gender and therefore could not participate in the Dresse and Maere Cups and had to wait for the next Championships.

"Now they have the new World Championships to work towards and I would like to send my great thanks to the Tennis Foundation and UK Deaf Sport for their willingness to organise the Championships in 2015."

The first-ever World Deaf Championships will be held next year in Nottingham ©Getty Images


Great Britain has a tradition of hosting international Deaf Tennis Championships, having previously hosted the European Championships, the Dresse and Maere Cups, and three previous British Open Deaf Tennis Championships, most recently at Nottingham Tennis Centre in 2006.

"I am delighted that the Great Britain and the Tennis Foundation will make history in hosting the inaugural World Deaf Tennis Championships to begin an exciting new chapter for deaf tennis," said Geoff Newton, executive director of the Tennis Foundation, Britain's leading tennis charity, organisers of the inaugural event.

"I am especially pleased that Nottingham Tennis Centre will be the host venue, having been a tremendous partner facility at which we have staged a variety of highly successful world class disability tennis events over many years.

The Championships will be held in association with UK Deaf Sport, a national registered charity and a federation of many deaf sports which aims to encourage deaf people to participate in, to enjoy and to excel at sport.

"UK Deaf Sport is delighted to work in partnership with the Tennis Foundation in securing the first World Deaf Tennis Championships," said Bill Baillie, national talent officer for UK Deaf Sport

"This is a great opportunity to look forward and increase the visibility of our talented deaf athletes and world class structures.

"By bringing international deaf events to the UK as part of a 12-year Performance Strategy, this acts to inspire future talented athletes to reach their full potential in their chosen sports and fulfill their lifelong dreams of representing their country on the world stage."

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