By Justin Cohen
BNP Paribas signs five-year extension with French Open
According to an article by Matt Cutler of SportsBusiness, banking giant BNP Paribas has agreed to a five-year extension with the French Open to serve as the tournament’s main partner. The new deal will last through 2016. “The partnership between BNP Paribas and the FFT (French Tennis Federation) will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2013, representing 40 years of shared joy and passion thanks to the magnificent sport of tennis,” said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, BNP Paribas CEO. “Roland-Garros has played a decisive role in building our visibility. It remains the flagship event of our tennis sponsoring program. Our loyalty to this sport in all of its dimensions reflects the core values that are essential to a bank operating on the ground: local presence and support over the long term.”
Statoil signs three-year partnership to become title sponsor of Masters Tennis event in London
IMG announced that Statoil, an energy company, has signed a three-year deal to become the title sponsor of the Masters Tennis tournament at Royal Albert Hall in London. The tournament will now be known as the Statoil Masters Tennis through 2014. “We are delighted to welcome Statoil as our new title sponsor. For the past 15 years, the Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall has brought together much-loved champions to compete and entertain sell-out crowds in one of the most unique and iconic tennis arenas in the world,” said Charlie Grave, Managing Director, Sponsorship, IMG. Statoil is a Norway-based energy company which is present in more than 30 countries around the world. The company is taking a dive into its first sponsorship of sport in the United Kingdom. This year’s tournament will take place from December 5-9. Tim Henman is the defending champion. The Statoil Masters Tennis is part of the ATP Champions Tour – a circuit of former World Number One tennis players, Grand Slam singles finalists and Davis Cup winners. Players who have competed in this event before include Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras.
IMG Academies appoints Rohan Goetzke as Director of IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy
Australian native Rohan Goetzke has been appointed the new Director of IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He joins the legendary tennis academy from the Dutch Tennis Federation, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of the nation’s tennis program from the juniors through professional tennis. “I am thrilled to join the tennis world’s most advanced and highly-regarded academy for youth development,” said Goetzke. “I’m looking forward to mentoring young student-athletes, while helping continue to develop the best junior, collegiate and professional talent in the world.” With his new role, Goetzke will ensure that the program delivers the optimal training and highest level of development to each athlete at the junior, high school, postgraduate, collegiate and professional levels. Prior to joining the Dutch Tennis Federation as a Technical Director, he served as a National Coach of the Federation, working with top professionals including Robin Haase, Michaella Krajicek, Thiemo De Bakker and Arantxa Rus. He also privately coached former Top 20 player Mario Ancic of Croatia. Additionally, he served as former Wimbledon singles champion Richard Krajicek’s coach for more than ten years. Goetzke will relocate to Florida this summer with his wife and three sons.
USTA launches ‘Create Your Own Tennis Court’ Photo Contest
The USTA just announced the launch of the ‘Create Your Own Tennis Court’ photo contest, which is a photo contest seeking the most creative tennis court set-up. The contest encourages fan engagement by asking them to determine the winner by voting for their favorite finalist photo on the website, www.createyourowntenniscourt.com. The entrant who submits the winning photo will win a trip for four to New York City to attend the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship. The contest is aligned with the USTA’s youth initiative, 10 and Under Tennis, and its emphasis that tennis can be played anywhere – a driveway, a park, and even a beach. 10 and Under Tennis provides the opportunity to achieve immediate success by playing tennis using equipment sized for children. “10 and Under Tennis with kid-sized equipment and courts takes tennis to a whole new level of fun and excitement for kids, allowing them to experience tennis on their terms,” said Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis. “The Create Your Own Tennis Court contest is a fun way for young people to creatively showcase that tennis can be played almost anywhere.” The contest, open to U.S. residents, 18 and older, consists of two phases. The first phase runs through July 8, during which the public will be able to submit a photo through the website www.createyourowntenniscourt.com. A panel of judges will select the top ten photos and the finalists will be placed in a photo gallery on the website for the public to vote for their favorite. The second phase will begin on July 17 and run through September 12 to determine the grand prize winner of the contest. Once finalists are announced, consumers will be asked to vote for their favorite photo from the top 10 selection. The entrant whose photo receives the most votes will be declared the winner and will be awarded the Grand Prize. In addition, every eligible fan who votes will be included in a weekly drawing for a chance to win a 2012 US Open hat.
Wimbledon extends digital media offering by signing deal with Dailymotion
The Wimbledon Championships have extended their digital media platform by signing a deal that will see video sharing platform Dailymotion stream live video content from this year’s tournament. With the exclusive partnership with Wimbledon, Live@Wimbledon will be launched, featuring on and off court news. The service will be showcased every day for the entire fortnight.
Jill Fonte named Executive Director at USTA Eastern
The USTA Eastern section announced that Jill Fonte has been appointed the new Executive Director and will start the position on June 4. She will lead the section as it places a new emphasis on growing tennis participation among players of all ages and abilities. “I am very excited to lead Eastern through this transition,” said Fonte. “The new charge from the Board of Directors to increase tennis participation is a tremendous opportunity, and will open up new and creative ways for the section’s outstanding staff and volunteers to grow the game.” A New Hope, Pa. resident, Fonte has worked for the past 12 years as an executive coach, consultant and speaker, providing wide range of leadership training to corporations, including selling and customer service, strategic planning, and executive presence. Earlier in her successful career, Fonte was the executive director of the United States Racquet Stringers Association, a trade organization that provides education and certification to racquet technicians across the country. Further, she has served as a USTA volunteer for several years, serving as a member and President of the USTA Middles States Board of Directors. She also has been a member of the USTA’s National Strategic Planning and Budget & Finance Committee. “Jill has outstanding experience as a leader and teacher, and understands how to develop the partnerships and programs we need to grow participation,” said Jeff Williams, President of USTA Eastern. “We are very excited to have her on board and look forward to working with her.” Jill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition from Simmons College in Boston and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California at Irvine.
Tennis Channel hosting America’s Hottest Coach Contest
The Los Angeles-based Tennis Channel is currently hosting a contest to find the hottest male and female tennis coach in the United States. Online submissions are now being accepted and can be found at www.tennischannel.com/hottest/index.aspx. Players from around the country can go online to nominate their favorite coach (coaches can nominate themselves) between now and June 22. Though the phrase “hot” is often associated predominantly with looks, Tennis Channel’s definition includes coaches who are physically fit and promote healthy lifestyles, while also being motivational and inspirational to the players they instruct. Candidates must be at least 21 years old and USTA or USPTA credentialed, and exhibit a passion for the game of tennis. “Seventy-five percent of Tennis Channel viewers play this sport recreationally, which is unique for a sports network,” said Robyn Miller, senior vice president, marketing, Tennis Channel. “We want to recognize the great coaches out there who, while they might not be known for tutoring professionals on TV, are making just as much impact in the lives they touch with their knowledge and love of the game.” Once the entry period is closed, a panel of judges will choose five male and five female finalists, who will be unveiled in early July. Visitors to Tennis Channel’s Web site will then select the two winners through an online poll that will run from July 9 to July 25. The two America’s Hottest Tennis Coach winners will be announced in August and receive prize packages that include trips to New York and their own instructional videos, produced by Tennis Channel to air on the network in 2013.
Heather Watson signs Brand Ambassador agreement with Statoil
Rising British tennis star Heather Watson, who just advanced to the second round at Roland Garros, has signed a Brand Ambassador agreement with Norway-based energy company Statoil. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The 19-year-old will be featured on Statoil’s “Heroes of Tomorrow” campaign.
Yonex to provide stringing services at 2012 London Olympics
It was recently announced that the Yonex stringing team will provide the stringing services at the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games for tennis and badminton. The ES5PROTECH Stringing Machine which will be used on site, achieves more accuracy, more stability, speed, and fail-safe reliability.
“World Tennis with Harry Cicma Presented by Infiniti of Norwood” returns to NESN for Fourth Season
“World Tennis with Harry Cicma Presented by Infiniti of Norwood” will return for a fourth season on New England Sports Network (NESN) with 12 high definition shows starting on June 6. This season’s series of shows includes interviews and features on tennis stars such as Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Billie Jean King, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier among others. Infiniti of Norwood (www.InfinitiofNorwood.com) returns as the presenting sponsor of “World Tennis with Harry Cicma” for a second season. Other sponsors for 2012 include the Boston Lobsters World Team Tennis franchise, ARP Wave of New England, Dr. Andrew Edelstein and “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” book, published by New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com). Excerpts from the show will also be available at www.WorldTennisMagazine.com and on the World Tennis Magazine YouTube channel following its airing on NESN. The New England Sports Network (NESN) is the flagship station for both the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins and is available on New England cable systems and nationally – in both standard definition and high definition through satellite TV providers DirectTV (Channel 628) and Dish Network (Channel 434). The Red Sox are a co-founder and majority owner (80 percent) of NESN with the Bruins owning the remaining 20 percent. NESN is delivered to over four million homes throughout New England and consistently receives higher ratings of any other national or regional sports channels in the region combined. Cicma is an on-air correspondent for NBC Sports, the former sports producer and anchor at NBC in Providence, R.I. and CBS in Springfield, Mass., and ABC in Sioux City, Iowa. He is the co-founder and host of “World Tennis with Harry Cicma” and also served as a commentator for other networks including Fox Sports Net and Tennis Channel and the U.S. Open tennis championships world feed. He is the TV voice of World Team Tennis, also host & producer of FOX Sports’ Ping Pong coverage, along with other productions on SNY, FOX, NESN and Comcast SportsNet. A former world-ranked ATP doubles player, he is a graduate of Rutgers University.