The tennis courts at Astana 2025 saw high-stakes clashes as top players delivered electrifying performances across singles and doubles matches.

In the Women’s II1 singles, a classic rivalry is set to reignite as Anna McBride (GBR) and Eva Blanc (FRA), finalists from Annecy 2024, will meet once again for the finals on the court. McBride cruised past Hanna Lavreysen (BEL) with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win. Blanc, the Annecy runner-up, powered through Kelly Wren (AUS) 6-2, 6-0 to secure her place in the final. Both Anna and Eva are known to play attacking and aggressively, and dragged their finals last year beyond two hours. The finals will definitely be thrilling for this duo.

In the Men’s II1 singles, reigning world champion Archie Graham (AUS) was tested by Fabrice Higgins (GBR) but held his ground to win 6-3, 6-4. Dominic Iannotti (GBR) swept past Phillips Damian (AUS) 6-0, 6-1, setting up a thrilling face-off with Graham for a semifinal spot. Meanwhile, Coulier Benjamin (FRA) defeated Aidan Moody (GBR) 6-4, 6-2, and Oliver Beadle (GBR) edged out Etchebarne Arthur (FRA) in a nail-biter, 7-5, 6-7(4), 10-7. Coulier and Beadle now advance to the semifinals.

In Men’s II2 singles, the Annecy 2024 finalists Timothy Gould (AUS) and Bezzi Emanuele (ITA) are headed for another showdown. Bezzi overwhelmed Ramadani Sai Aman (AUS) 6-0, 6-1, while Gould dispatched Gabrielle Vietti (ITA) 6-2, 6-3.

In Men’s II3 singles semifinals, it’s Australia versus France, as Thompson Hunter and Ballard Hayden (AUS) prepare to take on Shricke Aharon and Segre Youen (FRA).

Doubles Action

The UK showed strong dominance in the Men’s II1 doubles. The pairings of Fabrice Higgins and Dominic Iannotti, and Oliver Beadle and Aidan Moody both stormed into the finals. They secured decisive wins against Australian duo of Archie Graham and Phillips Damian (6-2, 6-0) and the French team of Coulier and Etchebarne (6-3, 6-4), respectively.

The Women’s II1 doubles final will see France’s Delvas Elise and Eva Blanc take on Andriana Petrakis and Kelly Wren (AUS) for the title. Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Anna McBride and Lillie Mills will compete against Kazakhstan’s Baksheyeva Mariya and Rogova Antonina for third place.

For full result, visit the Astana 2025 website.

To watch a livestream, visit https://ktf.kz/live/ 

The 2025 Virtus World Tennis Championship has officially kicked off at the Dualat Tennis Centre — marking the first-ever Virtus event in Central Asia! Backed by the International Tennis Federation, this landmark championship runs until May 11 and celebrates world-class athletes with intellectual impairment competing at the highest level.

The grand opening ceremony welcomed top dignitaries, including Ruslan Esenalin, Chairman of the Committee of Sports and Physical Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Vasily Levit, the Head of the Department of Physical Education and Sports Department of Astana, Lesley Whitehead, Virtus Tennis Director, Diaz Doskarayev, the Vice President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation and many other dignitaries, setting the stage for a thrilling week of sport, inclusion, and inspiration.

Athletes from eight countries, Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, France, India, Italy, and Poland, marched into the court, waving at the audience during the opening ceremony. The attendees were treated with a very energetic, captivating and joyful Kazakh dance called ‘Samğau‘ performed by the “Naz” ensemble wearing amazing black and yellow traditional attire. This was followed by a ‘mime’ act.

Lesley Whitehead, Virtus Tennis director, welcomed all the esteemed dignitaries, coaches, officials, parents, international delegates and athletes to the 2025 Virtus World Tennis Championships in Astana. Addressing the attendees, she says,

“I would like to thank IDSport for hosting this event, the first Virtus competition in this region. We will witness some unbelievably thrilling tennis moments on the court alongside incredible friendships, team spirit and sportsmanship both on and off the court as these athletes try to compete to their best abilities in their categories. These athletes will show us that intellectual impairment is no barrier to performing at a high level. I hope you all make a lot of happy memories and new friends.”

Talking about the development of Tennis in Kazakhstan, Dias Doskaraev, Vice President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation said,

“Kazakhstan is placing significant focus on the development of inclusive tennis. Over the past three years, wheelchair tennis programs have launched in eight cities across the country. National events such as the Kazakhstan Cup and the Kazakhstan Championship are regularly held now. In 2024, our national team (for athletes with an intellectual impairment) was officially formed and participated in the World Championship. Two of our players are now ranked in the top 200 globally. Now, for the first time, we have the honour of hosting a world-class event in our country. I wish all athletes the best of luck.

Dina Temirgaliyeva, President of IDSport, expressed her wish to see Tennis included at the Paralympic Games one day.

Vasily Alekseyevich Levit, Head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Astana, shared the importance of hosting this major event in Astana and how it will shape the sports culture in the country.

“For the first time in history, this prestigious championship is being hosted in Asia, and it is a great honour and responsibility for Astana to welcome it. Hosting such an important international tournament reflects the global sports community’s strong trust in Kazakhstan and highlights the steady progress of inclusive sports in our country. We sincerely thank the International Tennis Federation and Virtus for their trust and support.”

“The championship brings together athletes from across continents and contributes to the creation of an open, inclusive, and welcoming society where everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential,” he added further.

“We are proud of every participant who stepped onto the court and believe that Astana will leave them with warm and lasting memories. We are confident that this competition will not only serve as a milestone in athletic development but also as a solid foundation for the further advancement of inclusive sports in Kazakhstan and beyond.”

“The Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the city of Astana extends its gratitude to all partners and organisers and wishes the participants fair play, outstanding victories, and inspiring connections.”

Athletes from eight countries will be competing in singles, doubles and mixed doubles championships across II1, II2 and II3 categories over the next few days to win the top spot. Five athletes from Astana, Almaty and Akkol will be representing the host country. Virtus wishes everyone ‘good luck’ for their competiton.

For the competition program and other information, visit the Astana 2025 website.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to launch a Call for Contributions for its Unintentional Doping Research Project. 

WADA’s Taskforce on Unintentional Doping invites everyone, including athletes, athlete support personnel (e.g., coaches, physicians, parents), anti-doping practitioners, academics, and policymakers to share their personal experiences, professional opinions, research evidence, and examples of emerging practices regarding unintentional doping. WADA’s aim is to better understand the causes and consequences of unintentional doping so they can develop preventative strategies for athletes, athlete support personnel and anti-doping organizations. 

Deadline: 23 June 2025

Unintentional Doping

Unintentional doping occurs when an athlete or athlete support personnel unknowingly breaks an anti-doping rule. These cases can have wide-ranging and at times life-changing consequences, making this topic crucial to understand. Unintentional doping is particularly distressing for athletes and their support personnel/entourage. 

The goal of the Call for Contributions is to get a deeper understanding of the nature of unintentional doping, which involves determining the scale of the problem and understanding the scenarios that could lead to unintentional doping. For more details, please visit the Unintentional Doping page.

Professor Susan Backhouse, Chair of the Taskforce, said: “Unintentional doping is a complex behavioral problem, which, at its core, means it cannot be resolved by any one organization or in isolation. This is why engaging the whole community on this issue is so important. It was encouraging to see the importance of the work of the Taskforce highlighted at WADA’s Annual Symposium, as well as the common theme of collaboration, which will be crucial for addressing this issue. The Call for Contributions is a key component of the Taskforce’s commitment to developing a better understanding of unintentional doping and ultimately, how we can work towards preventing it.”

WADA’s Director of Education, Amanda Hudson, shared: “WADA is pleased to announce the next steps of this crucial social science research project. This Call for Contributions underlines WADA’s commitment to seek input from athletes and the wider anti-doping community to help inform the work WADA does. WADA’s goal is simple—we aim to reduce the incidence of unintentional doping in order to better protect clean athletes. I encourage everyone who has experience with or constructive thoughts about unintentional doping to contribute to this research project to better inform the work of this Taskforce. WADA wishes to thank the Fonds de recherche du Québec for supporting the social science research that is fundamental to anti-doping efforts and making this project a reality.”

Make a submission  

To participate in the Call for Contributions, please fill in the form by clicking on the link below.  

• Submissions are open to everyone. 
• Submissions can be made anonymously. 
• Submissions can be made in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.

Share your thoughts and experiences 

Partagez vos réflexions et vos expériences 

Comparta sus reflexiones y experiencias 

شاركنا أفكارك وخبراتك 

分享您的想法和经验 

Поделитесь своими мыслями и опытом 

These contributions will support the goal of the Taskforce in proposing an evidence-informed approach to the prevention of unintentional doping.

Privacy and confidentiality

The Call for Contributions on Unintentional Doping is powered by SurveyMonkey. You can review Survey Monkey’s privacy policy here. All contributions will be reviewed confidentially by the Taskforce in line with WADA’s Privacy Policy and the International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information. Those making submissions can also provide their contact information should they be willing to contribute further to the Unintentional Doping Research Project. 

About the Taskforce on Unintentional Doping 

WADA’s Taskforce on Unintentional Doping is a research-focused Working Group that is responsible for providing expert advice, recommendations, and guidance on developing an evidence-informed approach to the prevention of unintentional doping. The work of the Taskforce is co-funded by WADA and the Fonds de recherche du Québec with which WADA renewed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2022.

The work of the Taskforce is part of a multi-pronged approach to the matter of unintentional doping. As it relates to contamination specifically: 

• In 2018, WADA formed a Contaminants Working Group that is responsible for providing expert advice, recommendations and guidance with regards to prohibited substances that are contaminants. 
• On 27 March 2025, WADA’s Executive Committee approved creation of a new WADA Working Group on Contaminations (WGC), which will be responsible for conducting a global review on sources of contamination leading to adverse analytical findings (AAFs) and anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) in sport. It will also provide guidance and recommendations to the ExCo on potential improvements to the regulations and processes to further take into account the risk of such contaminations, while also maintaining an efficient anti-doping system.

The three Groups will work together in a coordinated and complementary fashion.

(This article was first published on WADA’s website on 3rd April)

April marks World Autism Awareness Month, and Virtus proudly joins the global celebration. This year’s theme, “Advancing Neurodiversity and the SDGs,” highlights the role of inclusivity in fostering sustainability and positive change worldwide, and we want to take this opportunity to highlight the II3 competition class and honour some of our outstanding athletes with autism who are inspiring athletes worldwide.

Research into the development of a new competition category began in 2018 when it was recognised that many athletes with autism face barriers in sports. Some may need specific adaptation and support, which is not available in mainstream sports and competitions, and so are not able to fulfil their sporting potential. And, after years of lengthy research and trial period, Virtus introduced the II3 competition class as a full medal event at the Virtus Global Games in 2023, creating a dedicated space for athletes with autism for the first time ever in the world of sports. With over 250 registered athletes, these individuals are inspiring other people with autism both nationally and internationally while supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Today, we are sharing the story of Elizabeth Whitehouse, an exceptional skier from the USA and a resident of Sammamish.

Elizabeth’s biggest supporters are her parents, her master ski team, and her extended family, emphasising the strong network that has helped her excel in her sport. Her biggest role model, however, is her mother.

“My mom is my role model because of what she has done to be where she is today and also because of what she has done to make sure I succeed in life.”

Growing up with autism meant that structure played an essential role in Elizabeth’s daily life. Elizabeth was informed beforehand if the class was going to have a substitute teacher for the day so that her routine was not thrown off. Despite these challenges, she found solace and joy in skiing.

“I chose skiing because I have fun and feel relaxed while doing it. The freedom you feel while going down the slopes is what I love most.”

Her journey into sports began in middle school, encouraged by her teachers. Over time, she has developed her skills and climbed through the ranks, competing in major international competitions. At the Virtus World Skiing Championships in Zakopane 2024, Elizabeth proudly secured three silver medals and one bronze for Team USA in the II3 category.

“In a way, we knew that I wouldn’t get gold like in 2023. My family and team knew that the other country’s athletes trained from a young age and that I would have competition. My family was excited for what I got with who I went against.”

Elizabeth also won two bronze from the women’s II3 Super G and Gaint Slalom races at the 2025 Virtus World Alpine Skiing Championship in Tignes, France recently.

Competing among other athletes with autism has been a rewarding experience for her, especially when she gets to compete against people from other countries.

She acknowledges that intellectual impairment and autism are often misunderstood.

“I do think that it is difficult for people to understand the difficulties that people with intellectual impairments or autism might have.”

Despite these challenges, Elizabeth has never let autism hold her back. Virtus competitions have played a significant role in her growth.

“Virtus competitions are giving me experience that I would never have gotten back home on the mountain that I ski on routinely. Hopefully, I can do ski FIS runs when I am old enough for the master level FIS.”

On Autism Awareness Day, Elizabeth has a message for young athletes with autism: “Do not give up because there is somebody who believes very much in you.”

Her journey is a testament to resilience, dedication, and an inspiration to young children around the world.

Virtus is saddened to learn of the death of Christine Ghys, Chair of the Organising Committee of the 2023 Virtus Global Games.

Christine worked tirelessly both in the build up to and delivery of the Games in Vichy, coordinating her small team to deliver the largest sports programme in the history of the event.

After retiring from her professional career in the packaging film industry, Christine joined the French National Member Organisation of Virtus, FFSA, serving as Treasurer and also becoming Secretary General of the International Confederation of Francophone Sports Unions (CIUSF).

Virtus would to extend our condolences to Christine’s family and everyone at FFSA on this very sad news.