Grand Slam tournaments announce grant recipients

Sports

Papua New Guinea’s Abigail Tere-Apisah qualified for her second year of the 2018 International Player Grand Slam Grants financed by the Grand Slam Development Fund.
Tere-Apisah’s WTA rankings is now 332 (singles) and 245 (doubles).
These results have come about following a successful year on the professional circuit with four wins in doubles events, a finals appearance in a singles and doubles event, and numerous quarterfinal, and semifinal appearances.
Tere-Apisah’s success resulted in her again receiving US$12,500 (K40,224) to assist her progress on the tour.
She is expected to start her 2018 campaign in Tasmania next month, with the Burnie Open Pro tournament.
Tere-Apisah will again lead the Pacific Oceania team to play in the 2018 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Asia/Oceania Zone Group II in Isa Town, Bahrain, starting next Monday.
The Grand Slam Development Fund (GSDF) programme, now in its second year, will provide a total funding of US$650,000 (K2.1m) to selected players from around the world as a contribution towards their competition-related costs, with the aim of helping them to develop as professional tennis players and compete in Grand Slam tournaments. The GSDF committee has more than doubled the amount of players receiving grants this year.
The committee considers specific age, ranking and regional representation criteria, with all recipients deemed to show exceptional potential.
Aside from Tere-Apisah, two men and three women also receive the grants as the highest ranked players in their respective regions — Hugo Dellien (Bolivia), Darian King (Barbados), Daniela Seguel (Chile), Chanel Simmonds (South Africa), and Renata Zarazua (Mexico).
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, former Australian Open and Roland Garros winner Li Na, three-time Roland Garros champion Gustavo Kuerten and current Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko are among the leading names to have been supported by the fund.