For more than three decades, Kathleen Stroia has been one of the world’s foremost leaders in advancing athlete health, performance, and women’s health in professional tennis, shaping the standards of care that influence the sport globally. Kathleen has been a driving force behind the evolution of professional tennis through innovative programs that support athlete development, optimize performance, and safeguard long-term health.
As the founder of the WTA Sport Sciences and Medicine Department, Kathleen established the first comprehensive, tour-wide health and performance program in professional women’s tennis. Under her leadership, the department has become a global model for integrating sports medicine, performance science, women’s health, research, and athlete development. In addition, Kathleen serves as Chair of the WTA Women’s Health Taskforce, leading initiatives that advance education and awareness, expand access to healthcare resources, and promote research, policy, and best practices that improve the health of WTA athletes and active women worldwide.
Since joining the WTA in 1990, Kathleen has played a pivotal role in designing the WTA’s player development programs, implementing the WTA Age Eligibility Rule, leading the development of the WTA COVID-19 Protocols during the global pandemic, and establishing the WTA’s fertility and maternity support programs. She also founded WTA Labs, the organization’s research division, to advance evidence-based innovation in tennis medicine and athlete care.
Beyond the WTA, Kathleen has coordinated healthcare services for women’s tennis at nine Olympic Games and served directly as an athletic trainer and physical therapist during the London 2012 Olympics.
