Industry News

Information to help you run your business

Annual TIA Tennis Forum August 29 in New York City

Hundreds of people in the tennis industry, including key executives and leaders, are expected to gather at the ninth annual TIA Tennis Forum at the Grand Hyatt New York, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 29, the first day of play at the 2016 US Open. In addition to the latest news about the industry and most recent participation, equipment and consumer data, the Forum will honor the two newest inductees into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame: community tennis visionary Eve Kraft and the incisive Tennis Week magazine founder, editor and publisher Gene Scott (see page 23).

The Forum also will include a focus on tennis and technology, highlighting innovative products impacting sports and fitness activities. The Tennis Forum is free to attend, but space is limited. Attendees are asked to register at TennisIndustry.org/forum to be assured a spot. Registered attendees will receive a copy of the 16-page “2016 TIA State of the Industry” report, which outlines key research vital to tennis industry businesses and organizations (an executive summary of the report appeared in the July issue of Tennis Industry).

“Every year, the Tennis Forum generates great interest,” says TIA Executive Jolyn de Boer. “The event has become a gathering place for this industry, where we discuss our successes and our challenges, honor those who have had a great impact on this sport, and focus on how we can move this industry forward.”

USPTA World Conference Set for Indian Wells

The USPTA World Conference will be held Sept. 25-29 at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in California. In addition to educational seminars and presentations from some of the top names in the industry, this year the schedule has been changed up a bit — notably with the popular Buying Show taking place at the start of the conference, on Monday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 10 p.m. The USPTA also is offering a “Virtual Event Bag,” which replaces the typical “promotions pack” of previous years.

The World Conference will include a panel discussion with three members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, along with two other panel discussions — one with the director of education for the CMAA, and one with the USTA on the new USTA National Campus and state of young American talent. Noted author Dr. Gerry Faust will speak on the closing day of the Conference, and USRSA Executive Director Bob Patterson will offer a specialty course that afternoon. For more information or to register for the conference, visit USPTA.org.

PTR Tennis Tech Conference & Expo Set for November

The PTR’s inaugural Tennis Technology Conference and Expo will be held Nov. 3-4 at the Marriott Resort Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The conference will feature interactive sessions covering the latest developments in products and software to help tennis coaches and club directors/managers run their businesses more effectively.

Session topics will include Software Integration for Clubs, Digital Marketing, Match Analysis Video Software, Teaching Apps, Green Initiatives, On-Court Technology and Racquet Technology with Software Integration. There will be an opportunity to demo on court as well.

“Staying ahead of the curve is vital,” says PTR CEO Dan Santorum. “That’s why PTR has created the first tennis conference dedicated solely to the innovations and technology that will help grow the game.” For more information, visit ptrtennis.org.

ITF Honors Parks, Van Nostrand

Brad Parks, the American founder of wheelchair tennis, received the ITF’s highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, at the 2016 ITF World Champions Dinner in Paris during the French Open. Also honored was 81-year-old King Van Nostrand of the U.S., who received the ITF Seniors Award for Outstanding Achievement.

The World Champions Dinner celebrated the achievements of the 2015 ITF World Champions, including Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams; doubles champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, and Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza; junior champions Taylor Fritz and Dalma Galfi; and wheelchair champions Shingo Kunieda and Jiske Griffioen. The champion nations of Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, Great Britain and Czech Republic, were also honored.

IART Symposium Offers Continuing Ed Credits

The 10th annual IART symposium will be held Sept. 23-27 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. USPTA members will receive six continuing education credits and PTR members 10 credits when they attend the entire conference. Day passes to the event, which focuses on improving stringing skills and pro shop management, are available for the first time. The Sept. 23 kickoff will be at the Wilson Global Headquarters; Wilson will also conduct tours of its innovation center on Sept. 26. For details and to register go to iartsymposium.com or contact tim@gssalliance.com.

Enter The 2016 CTA Photo Contest

There is still time to submit entries for the “How You Play Tennis in Your Community” photo contest, which is sponsored by the USTA’s CTA Committee. Participants are encouraged to submit fun, beautiful and inspirational photos that show how they play tennis on their community courts. The goal of the contest is to gather photos from across the country and inspire others to play tennis in their communities. To enter, photos need to be posted through Instagram, using #ustaCTA and #MyTennisCommunity to enter. (A release must be obtained for recognizable subjects; for a minor, one is required from a parent or guardian.) Deadline is Aug. 9. Weekly prizes will be awarded. Winning photos (as judged by the CTA Committee) and will earn the winner’s CTA a tennis equipment package from Wilson worth $200. For details and rules, visit usta.com/About-USTA.

USPTA, USTA Florida Break Ground for New Headquarters

The USPTA and USTA Florida celebrated the groundbreaking of new headquarters facilities on June 3 at the Lake Nona Sports & Performance District in Orlando, Fla. The two organizations will be based in a building expected to be completed in April and located across the street from the new USTA National Campus. Pictured at the groundbreaking are (from left) USTA Florida Executive Director Doug Booth, USTA Florida President Nancy Horowitz, Tavistock Development V.P. Andy Odenbach, USPTA President Chuck Gill and USPTA CEO John Embree.

New Book From Tennis Writer Michael Mewshaw

Acclaimed author Michael Mewshaw has written a new book, “Ad In Ad Out: Collected Tennis Articles of Michael Mewshaw 1982-2015.” Mewshaw is the author of “Short Circuit” and the best-selling “Ladies of the Court,” about the pro tennis tours.

Ranging over four decades, “Ad In Ad Out” provides vivid profi les of Bjorn Borg, Gabriella Sabatini, Monica Seles, Ivan Lendl, Andrea Jaeger, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams; analyzes Grand Slam finals; describes the author’s own attempts to play the game and discusses controversial subjects including betting and match-fixing, performance-enhancing drugs, tanking and sexual abuse. All come in for factual examination, as does the increasing frequency with which tournaments are played in sunny places for shady people — i.e. in tax havens, repressive states eager to improve their images, and lawless regions where organized crime has discovered tennis as an excellent way to launder money. For more, visit unbridledbooks.com.

USTA Foundation Names New Board Members

The USTA Foundation, the national charitable organization of the USTA, has named seven new members to its board for three-year terms.

“As members of the USTA Foundation board, these individuals will serve as ambassadors to promote the Foundation’smission to utilize tennis and education to help those in need,” said USTA Foundation Chairman James Blake. “We are looking forward to their ideas and support in achieving and maintaining our goals.”

The new directors are: Richard Ader, founder of U.S. Realty Advisors, LLC; Jamie Majeski, founder and vice chairman of Cydcor; Stephen Butzlaff, currently serving his second term as USTA council chair for Adult Tennis; Mark Leschly, managing partner of Rho Capital Partners; Kevin Martinez, vice president of corporate citizenship at ESPN; Ken Solomon, chairman and CEO of Tennis Channel; Raj R. Vaswani, vice president, law, at Johnson & Johnson (J&J).

The USTA Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in grants and scholarships to hundreds of programs.

PTI Scholarships Help Junior Wheelchair Players

Public Tennis Inc. (PTI) has awarded five junior scholarship grants for the PTR Wheelchair Tennis Championships. The PTR Championships, part of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour and an International Tennis Federation Grade A Junior Tournament, will be held Sept. 29-Oct. 2 at the Hilton Head Motorcoach Resort and Chaplin Park Tennis Center on Hilton Head Island, S.C. accommodations. “These grants can make a difference, as we have seen happen with so many of the juniors who have come through our tournament over the years,” says Tournament Director and PTR V.P. Julie Jilly.

Ball Magnet Keeps Play Moving, Keeps Court Clear

The Ball Magnet captures balls that hit the net, keeping them from rolling out onto the court for uninterrupted drills and lessons. Using a series of lightweight, nearly invisible net overlays, balls that hit the net drop down and collect near the base, resulting in a safer court for players. With less disruption, there is more time to play and the rhythm of a drill isn’t interrupted. It also makes for easier ball collection.

Ball Magnet sets up in minutes on both sides of the net. As a provider for Cardio Tennis, Authorized Providers can receive a discount on the Ball Magnet. Visit ihstennis.com, email info@ihstennis.com or call 843-816-1440 for more info.

Tennis Resorts Online Names Top Resorts, Camps

Tennis Resorts Online recently published its annual rankings of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts and Camps worldwide. Last year’s No. 1 Resort — Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina — and No. 1 Tennis Camp — Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks at the Gstaad Palace in Switzerland — remain on top in their respective categories for 2016.

Tennis Resorts Online has released annual rankings every year since 2003. The results are compiled from evaluations submitted by tennis vacationers themselves. Visit tennisresortsonline.com for the complete lists.

Top 5 Tennis Resorts: 1) Kiawah Island Golf Resort, S.C.; 2) Wild Dunes Resort, S.C.; 3) JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, Calif.; 4) Rancho Valencia, Calif.; 5) Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hawaii.

Top 5 Tennis Camps: 1) Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks at Gstaad Palace, Switzerland; 2) Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Fla.; 3) New England Tennis Holidays at Sugarbush, Vt.; 4) Saddlebrook Tennis, Fla.; 5) PBI Tennis Camp at Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria.

Cole Haan Launches Tennis Shoe Line

Cole Haan has launched a dual-gender collection, GrandPrø Tennis. The company says the GrandPrø is a vintage-inspired tennis shoe that uses “Grand.ØS” technology to reduce weight, mimic the foot’s natural flexibility, offer dynamic breathability and provide cushioning for comfort. The women’s shoe weighs 5.6 ounces; the men’s weighs 8.8 ounces. Both retail for between $130 and $150. Coinciding with the launch, Cole Haan also announced its “Lighten Up Your Game” campaign.

Isner Teams With Nulo For ‘Aces for Animals’

John Isner and his dog, Magill, are the newest ambassadors for Nulo Pet Food. “We could not be more excited to have a world-class athlete like John helping to raise awareness for premium pet nutrition,” says Michael Landa, Nulo’s founder & CEO.

Nulo and Isner have also teamed for an “Aces for Animals” campaign. This year, Nulo will donate 10 meals of pet food to a local animal shelter for every ace Isner serves at select tournaments. In 2015, Isner smacked 1,260 aces, second on the ATP World Tour.

Eight Girls Named To USA National Team

Eight top junior girls qualified for the 2016 Team USA National Junior Team, a training program designed to give America’s best young players (born in either 2000 or 2001) opportunities to train together during the summer and travel to play against top junior competition from around the world.

Players qualified for the team either automatically — by meeting criteria that includes junior and/or pro ranking, along with tournament results — or through a qualifying playoff, held in May the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla. USTA Player Development will provide the national team with training opportunities and coaching and travel assistance to select ITF junior tournaments.

The 2016 Team USA National Junior Girls Team is: Amanda Anisimova of Aventura, Fla.; Elysia Bolton of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.; Carson Branstine of Orange, Calif.; Abigail Desiatnikov of Sandy Springs, Ga.; Ellie Douglas of McKinney, Texas; Claire Liu of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Caty McNally of Cincinnati; and Natasha Subhash of Fairfax, Va.

New Products to Dry Hard, Clay Courts

The BATT (Big Absorbent Tennis Towel) dries hard courts quickly and easily by absorbing and spreading water with its eight microfiber panels. The material “grabs” water and continues to work even when wet, so it doesn’t need to be wrung out. The lightweight, 5- by 2-foot BATT can be pulled by hand or hooked up to a cart. It dries quickly, is tear-proof and mold and mildew resistant.

To dry clay courts, and other uses around a tennis facility, the Forever Towel is made from the same absorbent, fast-dry microfiber material. Larry Karageanes is the director of sales for both the BATT and the Forever Towel. For more information, visit battowel.com.

USRSA Announces New MRTs

Micah Ho — Ontario, Canada
Jason Hood — Clearwater, Fla.

Short Sets

Babolat and Roland Garros have extended their partnership through 2019. Babolat provides the official racquets and stringing service as well as 60,000 balls for the tournament.
Peter Burwash International will direct the tennis program at the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain.
Prince has extended its partnership with top-ranked American John Isner as its global brand ambassador through 2018. A career Prince player, Isner uses the TeXtreme Warrior 100.
LSI Industries will supply indirect LED lighting for the indoor courts at the USTA National Campus under construction at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has a new mailing address: 1130 East University Drive, Suite 115, Tempe, AZ 85281-8402.

People Watch

Hannah Thompson is the new tennis director at Hawk’s Cay Resort on Duck Key in the Florida Keys. The resort’s tennis program is managed by Cliff Drysdale Tennis.
Novak Djokovic beat fellow Head player Andy Murray in the French Open final to win a career Grand Slam. Djokovic plays with the Head Graphene XT Speed while Murray uses the Graphene XT Radical.
Alexandra Bergman of the University of Minnesota and Paul Farah of Oberlin College are the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Promoters of the Year Award winners and will receive paid summer internships at Wilson’s Chicago headquarters.
The USTA Southern Section has added three Tennis Service Representatives: David Araiza will focus on Hispanic Outreach and 10 & Under Tennis; Kelly Hesketh is serving as a part-time TSR (alongside Steve Zalinski) for South Carolina; Tim McCollum is the new TSR for Kentucky.
Industry veteran Andrew Feldman has joined the USTA Southern Section as director of community development. Feldman, currently of Greensboro, N.C., worked as USTA national senior manager for volunteer development from 2003 to 2014. He has served as the University of North Carolina-Greensboro Assistant Director for Leadership Development since last November.
Head Penn National Indoor Promotions Manager Doug Ganim was inducted as the 58th member into the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame.
Three-time French Open champ Gustavo Kuerten is a new Global Ambassador for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Kuerten, who was inducted in 2012, will play an active role in the Hall’s effort to preserve and promote the history of tennis, and to engage the global tennis community.
Dartmouth recruit David Horneffer of Brookfield, Wis., and Harvard-bound Alexis Milunovich of Greenwich, Conn., won the 2016 USTA National Junior Scholar Athlete Award, honoring high school players who best demonstrate that tennis is the sport of opportunity for education, advancement and character development.