by Kevin Craig
@KCraig_Tennis
BNP Paribas to Make Major Announcements
Officials at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden are set to make major announcements involving the future of their facility. No exact details have been released, but it is expected that the announcement will include new plans to continue renovations and expansions of the site, including building “an additional stadium, a museum, more restaurants and perhaps even an on-site hotel to be built,” according to Andrew John’s article for The Desert Sun. Raymond Moore, chief executive of the tournament, claimed that “those ideas are all on the drawing board,” but the tournament is “not pulling the trigger on any of those things yet,” in an interview with The Desert Sun. Moore and tournament owner Larry Ellison are consistently attempting to improve their site and make the tournament better every year, even turning the site into a year-round destination that attracts concerts, festivals, car shows, and other sporting events. A collection of tennis artifacts has already been purchased by the tournament to be put in their future museum that is currently set to be a standalone building, with original plans hoping to integrate it into one of the tennis stadiums. Renovations for 2016 saw Stadium 1 receive new seating and a new VIP press area labeled as The Champions Box, giving fans a more comfortable viewing experience. The old seats were taken and placed alongside the practice courts, allowing an easier method for fans to watch the stars practice.
Serena Williams Nominated for Laureus Sportswoman of the Year
American tennis star Serena Williams has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award for the 10th time in her career, having already won the award twice, according to the WTA. The award began being released in 2000 and has been awarded to a WTA player four times with Williams winning in 2003 and 2010, Jennifer Capriati winning in 2002, and Justine Henin winning in 2008. Williams is hoping to become the first woman to win the award three times, something no other woman has done. Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva has come close, winning the award twice, as well. Other nominees include American soccer star Carli Lloyd, Genzebe Dibaba, Anna Fenninger, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Katie Ledecky. The award will be announced in Berlin on April 18th. Novak Djokovic and the British Davis Cup team were also nominated for Laureus awards.
Andy Murray Supports Startups via Crowdfunding in UK
The British No. 1 tennis player Andy Murray has shown his support for various startup companies in Great Britain via a crowdfunding site called Seedrs, a site that he teamed up with in June of 2015, according to BBC. Murray has invested in companies Oppo Ice Cream, Commuter Club, Landbay, We Are Colony, and Readbug. Oppo Ice Cream is a corporation that makes low calorie ice cream, Commuter Club helps commuters get to their destinations more efficiently through a subscription service, Landbay allows peers to help each other with mortgages, We Are Colony is a film streaming website, while Readbug makes various magazines available to readers on an app. This is not the first time that Murray has used Seedrs to show his support for local companies, as he invested in three companies in 2015. The amounts investments from Murray were undisclosed, but Seedrs has claimed that it has received more than £100m and helped fund more than 300 startup businesses.
Asian Tennis Tour Launched
According to India.com, the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) has launched an exclusive Asian Tennis Tour (ATT) in an attempt to develop young tennis players throughout Asia more effectively. Only Asian players will gain access into the ATT events that would lead to wild cards in futures and challenger events, while also garnering some prize money. Another incentive for the participants of the ATT will be the right to travel with the International Premier Tennis League, a new team oriented style of tennis that has seen the biggest names in tennis participate in a fun manner of tennis throughout Asia. The ATT will begin with an event in New Delhi in April. A similar tour is planned to be launched for women in 2018. ATF Chairman Nasser Ghanim Al Khelaifi claimed “it is essential that these players are supported during this very challenging beginning phase of their careers” and hopes to help expedite the developmental process of these talented young player, according to India.com.
Fila Releases New Tennis Shoe
Fila has launched a new sneaker, the Cage Delirium, designed for tennis. The shoe has been “outfitted with a number of high-tech elements to elevate an athlete’s performance on the court,” according to Footwear News. Mark Eggert, VP of footwear design for Fila North America stated that the “show was crafted with both performance and style in mind, fusing new technology with modern design features and sharp colorways.” Eggert went on to claim that Fila strives to provide their athletes with the highest quality resources to “feel confident and comfortable on the court,” according to Footwear News. The show includes multi-directional pivot points, a durable outsole, midfoot support, a cushioning midsole, and a lightweight mess upper all in an attempt to give athletes the best possible feel to move at the best of their ability. Fila wearers John Isner, Jelena Jankovic, Andreas Seppi, and Timea Babos all helped provide help that went into the construction of the shoe, as Fila hopes many athletes will begin making the transition to this new style of shoe in the near future. The shoes will be worn by the ball kids at the BNP Paribas Open, of which Fila is the official sponsor. The shoes are now on sale at Fila.com.
Aegon Open Nottinham to be Bigger and Better This Year
Paul Hutchins and Rebecca James, the ATP and WTA tournament directors for the Aegon Open Nottingham have claimed the tournament will return bigger and better in 2016. After originally only being planned to take place in just 2015, the tournament is returning to Nottingham, and Hutchins and James believe they will be able to once again attract top players to their tournaments. Ticket sales have just gone on sale, and more people will be able to take in the action as the seating capacity of their center court has been increased, according to the Nottingham Post. Hutchins claimed the tournament “had virtually a sell out on the Saturday, Friday, and almost the Thursday last year, so [he] decided to increase” the capacity of the stadium. Not only will the seating capacity be increasing, but the prize money will be increasing as well.
