From January 1 next year, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) governing body will rebrand as World Tennis.

This has been approved following an "overwhelming" majority vote amongst the ITF's national member associations at the body's latest annual general meeting today.

The ITF - which has been named as such since 1977 - has said that the change has come following extensive research and stakeholder interviews from across the globe, with subsequent feedback confirming "the need for a name that more effectively captured the magnitude of the organisation’s role and relevance to the tennis ecosystem through its 213 member national associations."

Before 1977, the London-based body - which organizes competitions such as the men's Davis Cup and the women's Billie Jean King Cup - was known as the International Lawn Tennis Federation.

Its trading name will officially change at the start of 2026, with the new World Tennis brand to be launched in mid-2026 via a phased rollout.

The name change will apparently provide a clearer identity with more relevance to players, fans, partners, and other stakeholders worldwide, as well as bring the organization "in line with a majority of sport's most prominent global governing bodies."

The ITF has also framed it as "part of a gradual evolution of the organization's brand," referencing the launch of the World Tennis Tour and World Tennis Number sub-brands, and also as part of an overall strategy to "unlock greater engagement, recognition, and investment, across all areas of tennis."

David Haggerty, president of the ITF, has explained: "After more than 110 years of proud history as the ITF, I’m truly excited for our future as World Tennis as we continue to grow our contribution to the development of the game in all corners of the globe. World Tennis better reflects who we are today; the global governing body and guardian of tennis, working hard with our members to deliver tennis for life."