Next week, the ITF J 60 tournament will start with qualifying on Friday, while a week later, the ITF J 100 tournament will commence.

The two tournaments have been upgraded to grade 3 and grade 4 status, which means that higher-profile international players will compete.

Both tournaments will be played at the Free State Tennis Stadium.

The Cepha Tennis Tournament Director, MC Olivier, said the events give players the opportunity to measure themselves against some of the best opponents from across the globe and it’s also a great opportunity for them to develop.

"It is a huge honour for us to be hosting these international events again in 2023 after the success of the 2022 tournaments," said Olivier, who is a well-known name in Free State tennis.

"It affords our local players the opportunity to play in such high-calibre events on local ground, giving them a great opportunity to develop as players and measure themselves against some of the best players from around the world.

"We would like to thank the University of the Free State for their continued support in making this one of the best tournaments in the country."

The tournament has already attracted a big international field with players from countries such as Australia, Botswana, Burundi, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek