French Open Junior Wild Card Series in Delhi from Feb 24, Mary Pierce is event ambassador

The sixth edition of the Roland-Garros Junior Wild Card Series will be held at the clay courts of the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) from February 24-26 with four-time Grand Slam winner Mary Pierce as event ambassador.

The announcement was made by the French Tennis Federation (FFT), organisers of French Open, and the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

Pierce will be present in Delhi to motivate the players during the event.

The tournament provides young Indian players with a unique opportunity to qualify for the Roland-Garros Junior Main draw to be held in May 2020.

Each of the top-8 boys and girls in the AITA Ranking will be eligible to participate in the three-day tournament.

The winners from both categories will then travel to Paris to compete in the Junior Roland-Garros Qualifiers, with a shot to qualify for the main draw of the Grand Slam's junior tournament.

The series also gives participants from India, a valuable opportunity to compete against the best junior players from China, Mexico and Brazil.

This year's ambassador, Pierce, not only has experience of playing and winning at Roland-Garros, but is also committed to encouraging and mentoring young players.

"I truly believe there are some great young talents in India which have the potential to do well internationally in the coming years. I am proud to be a part of something which gives these promising players a chance to play at one of the biggest stages of tennis.

"This year also marks the 20th anniversary of my win at Roland-Garros, so it's very special for me to be representing the tournament and sharing my knowledge," said Pierce.