Tennis: Nice native Gilles Simon appointed director of High Performance at the FFT

The French Tennis Federation is evolving its organization. Nice native Gilles Simon becomes director of High Performance, while Ivan Ljubicic takes on the role of special advisor to president Gilles Moretton.

The French Tennis Federation (FFT) decided on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 to reorganize its functions around international affairs and high performance. Present since the end of 2022, Ivan Ljubicic continues his commitment to the Federation as special advisor to president Gilles Moretton. The new missions will focus in particular on international issues, relations with players on the professional circuits, notably as part of the recently announced Grand Slam Player Council, as well as on French high-level tennis. “I am very proud to become Special Advisor to the President and to continue my commitment to the FFT, said the Croatian. In an international environment in full evolution, I wish to put my experience and the relationships I have built over the years at the service of the Federation, particularly to further strengthen dialogue with players and the main actors in world tennis.”

Gilles Simon wants to support young French tennis prospects

The main change concerns the arrival of the Nice native Gilles Simon at the National Technical Director position. Former world number 6, with twenty years of experience on the professional circuit, Gilles Simon becomes director of High Performance. His mission will be focused on the court and supporting players with strong potential, with a strengthened presence in the two FFT national training centers, in Paris and Poitiers. “I am very proud to join the French Tennis Federation as Director of High Performance at the DTN. I am now looking forward to taking on these new roles and supporting the young hopes of French tennis. Drawing on the expertise of the FFT teams, I know that we will be able to collectively meet this challenge successfully.”

Gilles Simon will work with the various components of the National Technical Director, in particular the captains and the men’s and women’s French teams including Nice native Alizé Cornet, the CNE teams and the FFT teams present in the territories. Other former French champions may also come to support the new director of High Performance.

Gilles Moretton welcomes this arrival and the evolution of Ivan Ljubicic’s role: “I would first like to thank Ivan for his commitment and for all the expertise he has brought to high-level tennis since his arrival at the Federation. Together we wanted to evolve his role so that we could benefit from his experience on issues that are particularly important for the FFT at the international level. I am also very pleased to welcome Gilles Simon. His experience at the very highest level and his desire to share will be extremely valuable. I know him to be very motivated by this new mission. With Ivan, Gilles, our captains and all the Federation’s teams, we want to continue to collectively strengthen our support for the best French prospects.”

The FFT thus intends to bring together several forms of expertise around a single objective: to support young French talent in their progression towards professional high-level tennis.