Tennis: Ghana faces demotion from Davis Cup and Billie Jean Cup over funding crisis

Ghana Tennis Federation (GTF) faces possible demotion from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup due to a severe funding shortfall. In a press release dated May 5, 2026, the Federation said Ghana risks missing the upcoming 2026 ties scheduled for June in Nairobi, Kenya, and July in Gaborone, Botswana, a situation that would trigger automatic demotion.

The GTF stated it has operated for the past 15 years without direct state funding, depending largely on corporate sponsorships and grants from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to finance its activities. The Federation noted that its recent international participation has been sustained through ITF support and contributions from corporate partners. Preparations for this year's competitions have been significantly disrupted by increased competition for sponsorship funds, largely due to the Black Stars' involvement in the FIFA World Cup 2026, and the Federation revealed that its ITF participation grant has been cut by 50 percent following the withdrawal of a major sponsorship agreement.

The GTF warned that failure to participate in the upcoming events would not only result in demotion but also damage Ghana's international reputation in tennis and amount to a national embarrassment. The statement said, "We therefore make a clarion call on the Government of Ghana to urgently reclaim its primary role in funding national sports activities, particularly tennis, to safeguard Ghana's standing in global competitions." Ghana's tennis team, the Golden Rackets, represented by Isaac Nortey and Samuel Agbesi, put up an impressive run at the 2025 Davis Cup Africa Zone Group IV competition in Angola, sailing through their round robin phase undefeated before eventually falling to Burundi 2-1 in the promotion play-off match. The team will secure promotion to Group III in Nairobi if they can finish in the top two.