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Federer Is Most Googled Tennis Player: This Week in Tennis Business

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By: Justin Cohen

  • Roger Federer was the most searched tennis player on Google in 2009. Serena Williams was the second most searched tennis player followed by Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova. Federer also recently became the newest entry in the latest edition of Britain’s Who’s Who, a guide to prominent people in a variety of fields.

    Roger Federer: The most googled tennis player
    Roger Federer: The most googled tennis player
  • Former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Amelie Mauresmo has retired from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Mauresmo, who won 25 career singles titles, said that she no longer had the burning desire for competition. “It’s a bit sad, but this is the right decision,” said Mauresmo. “I was lucky enough to have an exceptional career and to experience very strong feelings on the court.”
  • Spain captured its second straight Davis Cup title and fourth since 2000 by defeating the Czech Republic 5-0 at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain. “We didn’t expect to win it this quickly,” said Captain Albert Costa. “The key to this team has been its unity.” On Monday, Spain’s Prime Minister honored the winning Davis Cup squad by hosting a ceremony at his residence.
  • According to calculations from the Davis Cup Economic Survey, the Davis Cup competition has an economic impact of $184 million.
  • Ryan Harrison won the USTA Australian Open wild card playoff by defeating Jesse Levine in straight sets. On the women’s side, Coco Vandeweghe defeated Christina McHale in a close three set  match to earn the women’s wild card into the first Grand Slam event of the 2010 season.
  • International Olympic Committee executives will this week hear the ITF’s proposal to include mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics.
  • Xavier Malisse and Yanina Wickmayer have appealed their one-year doping bans to a civil court in Brussels, Belgium. A verdict is expected to be reached on January 7, 2010.
  • Nine of the Top 10 women are entered in the Sydney International that will be held in Australia from January 10 to 16. World No. 6 Venus Williams is the only Top 10 player not entered in the event.
  • Long time tennis television broadcaster Dick Enberg has been named the play-by-play television announcer for the San Diego Padres games starting in the 2010 season. Whether he will still announce tennis on television is yet to be determined.
  • In her unofficial comeback, Justine Henin defeated both Flavia Pennetta and Kristen Flipkens in straight sets in an exhibition event in Charleroi, Belgium. “It’s not my (best level of) tennis, for sure, but that’s what I expected,” said Henin. “But I’m physically in perfect shape, my right knee that I had the operation on. And my attitude this evening was perfect.”
  • According to reports, Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram will not partner together in 2010.
  • Caroline Wozniacki will not face any penalties for retiring from her match against Anne Kremer at the WTA tournament in Luxembourg.
  • Pete Sampras will face Fernando Verdasco in an opening night exhibition match at the SAP Open in San Jose, Calif., on February 8, 2010.
  • Anastasia Rodionova reported on her Twitter page that she has passed her Australian citizenship test.
  • Paul McNamee announced that he plans to run again next year for President at Tennis Australia. McNamee lost last month’s election to Geoff Pollard, who has held the position for 20 years.
  • Tennis in Australia ranked first with a 58 percent level of interest based on an annual survey of sports preferences. Tennis was the top sport for television viewing, third in participation and fifth in attendance.

·         HEAD announced that current HEAD Penn Racquet Sports President Kevin Kempin has been appointed the CEO and President of HEAD USA.

Henin granted Australian Open wild card: This Week in Tennis Business

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By Justin Cohen

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

From the Australian Open granting Justine Henin a wild card for the 2010 tournament to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal announcing they will compete in Abu Dhabi to Barcelona being named the host city for the Davis Cup finals between Spain and Czech Republic to Amelie Mauresmo hinting at retirement to James Blake dropping longtime coach Brian Barker to now work with Kelly Jones to Roger Federer being ranked the eighth most influential man in the world according to AskMen.com, these stories caught the attention of tennis fans and insiders this week.

  • According to Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley, Justine Henin has officially been granted a wild card in next year’s Australian Open.
  • For the second straight year, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be headlining the field at the Capitala World Tennis Championships exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi to start the season. The three day exhibition event starts on December 31, 2009 and will also feature Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nikolay Davydenko, Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling. “I am very much looking forward to coming back,” said Federer. “Last year’s tournament was absolutely superb.”
  • The Spanish Tennis Federation announced that Barcelona will host the upcoming Davis Cup final between Spain and Czech Republic. The tie will be played at Palau Sant Jordi, which previously hosted the 2000 Davis Cup final between Spain and Australia.
  • Amelie Mauresmo has hinted that she might be considering retiring from tennis. The former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam singles champion, has pulled out of her final two events of the 2009 season and said on her website that she is having trouble finding the desire to compete. “Since coming back from the U.S. Open, I have tried to practice but haven’t been able to find the desire to return to competition,” said Mauresmo. “I don’t want to rush or force things. I’m letting myself have some time to reflect before taking a decision about the rest of my career.”
  • James Blake has stopped working with longtime coach Brian Barker and is now being coached by former world No. 1 doubles player Kelly Jones.
  • An AskMen.com poll on the world’s most influential men of 2009 listed Roger Federer at No. 8 and Andy Roddick at No. 35.
  • According to the Daily Telegraph, Andy Murray is the eighth highest-earning British athlete with an annual income of $7 million (UK).
  • Basler Zeitung reports that Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lives in Switzerland for tax purposes, will have to play the tournament in Valencia instead of in Basel because his tax agreement with local Swiss authorities would become invalid if he played the tournament in Switzerland and earned prize money.
  • Justine Henin’s coach Carlos Rodriguez told Belga, a Belgian newswire, that her first tournament back on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour will “probably” be in Brisbane.
  • Mario Ancic told Croatian press that he will soon be getting medical clearance to return to training. The former Top 10 player said he expects to return to competition in January but has not decided whether he will return at the Australian Open or at a smaller tournament.
  • Serena Williams, who regained the No. 1 ranking on Monday, will be a guest on, Jimmy Kimmel Live, on Friday, October 16. The show is taped at the El Capitan Entertainment Center on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
  • From December 2 to 5, Mardy Fish, John Isner, The Bryan Brothers and Melanie Oudin will participate in exhibition events in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville and Pelham, Alabama.
  • Anna Kournikova and Tommy Haas have been added to the list of participants for the Advanta WTT Smash Hits charity tennis event on December 8 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The event is hosted by Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King. Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport and top-ranked doubles player Liezel Huber will also take part in the event.
  • 16-year-old American tennis star Sloane Stephens has signed a multi-year representation deal with BEST. Stephens will play her first full year on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in 2010.
  • According to the Melbourne Age, Tennis Australia lost about $7 million (AU) last year because of the economy.
  • The Tennis Channel promoted current Chief Financial Officer William Simon to Chief Operating Officer.
  • Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) will host its annual International Tennis Symposium and $25,000 Championships from February 12-17, 2010 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
  • Reports published by the L’Equipe indicate that Richard Gasquet’s case will be heard by The Court of Arbitration in November. The International Tennis Federation is appealing the reduced suspension given to Gasquet for testing positive for Cocaine in Miami.
  • According to press reports, Australian Mark Philippoussis is engaged to actress Jennifer Esposito. The couple is refusing to comment on the engagement besides him say, “Her name is Jennifer and we met in the Hamptons. I’m very excited.”
  • Mahesh Bhupathi and his wife of six and a half years have ended their marriage. “Shvetha and I have decided to go our separate ways, but continue to remain cordial,” Bhupathi said in a statement.
  • Peter Burwash, the President of Peter Burwash International, received the “2009 Faculty Emeritus Award” from the USTA at the recent USTA Tennis Teachers Conference. “It is an honor and privilege to be a part of the Tennis Teachers Conference and receive this award,” said Burwash.