Frédéric Fontaine and other top coaches explain importance of World Tennis Congress: ‘Continuous education is key’ | ATP Tour
Coach’s Corner
Fontaine explains the importance of World Tennis Congress: “Inspiration, knowledge and guidance”
Top ATP coaches to participate in sixth edition of unique development program
March 17, 2026
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Felix Auger-Aliassime is the No. 8 player in the PIF ATP rankings and is coached by Frederic Fontan.
Written by ATP Staff
Top ATP Tour coaches Frederic Fontang, Alberto Castellani, Louis Cayer, Liam Smith and Claudio Pistolesi emphasized the importance of the World Tennis Congress 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 coaches have highlighted how the conference is helping to shape the future of tennis by connecting elite coaches, former players and sports science experts from around the world.
Taking place March 26-29, WTC6 is a four-day virtual event that connects elite coaches, former athletes, sports scientists and educators, giving people around the world access to insights that are difficult to obtain in one place.
“Constant education is key to dealing with lateral knowledge and maintaining the plasticity of each individual’s brain,” said Fontang, coach of PIF ATP No. 8 player Felix Auger-Aliassime. “Every coach should be a role model in this regard, to be a good all-rounder and to imbue himself with expertise and more knowledge. In this sense, participating in WTC6 and learning from any coach is a very powerful experience that will bring a lot of inspiration, knowledge and guidance to all coaches.”
The conference has grown steadily in size and reputation, bringing together some of the most influential voices in professional tennis. For Castellani, president of the Global Professional Tennis Coaches Association (GPTCA), this growth reflects the sport’s commitment to professional development and collaboration.
“As GPTCA President, I am very proud to see that every year the WTC improves the quality of the tactical technical, mental, physical and cultural presentations delivered this year to more than 64 speakers,” said the Italian. “Many of the top 15 players and top coaches of the best players were in attendance. It was a great honor and opportunity to see them contribute.”
Register on the official World Tennis Congress website: “Dream big, coach better.”
The exchange of ideas is one of the defining features of the event. Top coaches from the ATP Tour share their experiences working at the highest levels of the sport with experts in performance science, analytics and player development.
For renowned doubles professional Louis Kaye, who has coached a number of British players including current world number one doubles player Neil Skupski, the value lies in keeping coaches open to new perspectives.
“Continuing education keeps us open to new ideas and helps us improve how we coach our players,” Kaye said. “Every year, the WTC plays an important role in bringing coaches and experts together to share knowledge and methods to help us grow in all areas of player development, which in my opinion is a key factor in developing better coaches. It means a lot to coaches.”
The sixth edition will also include an impressive array of additional speakers recently confirmed. Former doubles world number one Max Mirnyi joins a roster that includes some of the sport’s most respected coaching figures, including Toni Nadal, Samuel Lopez, Anton Dubrov and Gilles Cervala.
The event’s accessibility also plays a major role in its growing global reach. The conference is conducted entirely online, allowing coaches from around the world to learn directly from some of the sport’s most respected figures without having to travel. Smith, who coaches Jenson Brooksby, said this kind of convenience could shape the future of tennis coaching.
“The WTC creates a unique opportunity for coaches to learn from some of the world’s most renowned players, coaches and educators, which is a bright spot for the future of the sport,” Smith said. “The WTC brings together former ATP and WTA players, coaches and sports science experts. It’s an extraordinary event for coaches.”
Former ATP Tour coach Pistolesi, who has worked with players such as Robin Soderling and Simone Borrelli, believes openness and collaboration define a great coach.
“Being a coach means sharing ideas, constantly learning and being open to new concepts, because every top coach knows that sharing helps grow,” Pistolesi said. “The WTC shows the tennis industry why and how many top coaches hold this position.”
The ideas of development and connection are at the heart of the campaign’s vision. Founded by high-performance expert Fernando Segal, the conference aims to build a stronger coaching ecosystem, ultimately benefiting athletes and the wider sport.
“At World Tennis Congress, we have gathered leaders who understand that development is about structured systems, with people first and performance second,” Siegel said. “Interconnection with information from top coaches, leaders and scientists is creating powerful ecosystems where: Better systems produce better coaches. Better coaches produce better players. Better players advance culture and awareness about tennis and humanity.
“Player development is a great responsibility, and that responsibility starts with a better education. WTC is about pure love of tennis.”
As the sixth edition of the tournament approaches, the message from the sport’s top coaches is clear: In an increasingly complex high-performance environment, the pursuit of knowledge remains one of tennis’s greatest competitive advantages.
