By: Justin Cohen
- Sources, including Indianapolis Colts Team President Bill Polian, have said that it is a done deal that the National Football League will switch from 16 regular season games to 18 games, starting the season the weekend before Labor Day weekend. If this were to go through, it would likely seriously impact the US Open tennis championships, which is televised in the United States by CBS, the network that owns the NFL rights to broadcast AFC Conference games. Opening night of the US Open and Labor Day Monday night at the US Open, broadcast in the USA on ESPN2, would then go head-to-head against with Monday Night Football, broadcast on ESPN. Rather than only one day of the US Open going head-to-head against a full NFL Sunday (the final day of the tournament when the men’s final is played), both Sundays at the US Open will be impacted, which will impact television ratings in the United States.
- Last week, the Head of the French Tennis Federation confirmed that the French Open will stay at its current location at Roland Garros rather than relocate to a Paris suburb as the tournament was hoping to expand the venue. The French Federation of Tennis has agreed to use the other tennis courts next to the Roland Garros stadium, which is expected to be enough for the Grand Slam tournament to stay at Roland Garros instead of moving to any other place. Despite all the talk of the French Open staying put at Roland Garros for now, the big decision on whether it will be staying in its present location will be made at a French Federation of Tennis meeting, which will be held in February 2011.
- SportsBusinessJournal’s DanKaplan is reporting that the ATP World Tour approved a $100,000 payment to the New Haven tournament and in return can now schedule another event in its spot on the calendar, which is held the week before the US Open. Sources close to the situation said that tournament is “likely to move out” of New Haven. Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament Director Anne Worcester recently said that the tournament has extended the search for a new title sponsor with the initial “self-imposed deadline to announce a title sponsor just three days away.” Last month, Worcester said that nine companies were very interested in becoming the title sponsor of the event. “While we initially indicated that September 30 was our deadline for securing financial support to conduct a tournament in 2011 and beyond, that window has been extended into October.”
- At least four full-time staffers were let go at Tennis Magazine over the past few days, according to the twitter feed of TennisWire.org. Photo Editor David Rosenberg posted on his twitter feed that he “Got canned.” According to TennisWire, the magazine will now be mainly out-sourced to 10TenMedia.com.
- Jon Muir will remain on as President of the Tennis Industry Association for a second term, following recommendations from the TIA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, to help see through platforms and projects under way that help support growth for tennis and industry businesses. “I’m happy to continue our collective, ongoing efforts supporting the three platforms we have been developing: increasing the number of frequent players, measuring and impacting more clearly the economic growth of the collective tennis industry, and developing our communication channels to distribute clear, consistent messaging about our industry and most importantly about tennis and the reasons to play,” said Muir. Muir, whose second term will continue through December 31, 2012, is currently the worldwide General Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports. The TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, made up of tennis businesses that cross all sectors of the industry, including manufacturers, court builders, teaching pros, facilities, retailers, professional tours, media and organizations, such as the U.S. Tennis Association. TIA also welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors including:
o Gordon Boggis is the CEO of Prince Sports Inc., based in Bordentown, N.J. He has been an executive in the sports and fitness areas for many years, including senior management positions with Dunlop Slazenger Group.
o Greg Mason is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for HEAD Penn Racquet Sports, based in Phoenix, Ariz. Mason has spent more than 25 years in the sporting goods industry in senior management roles, including with Reebok USA and Puma North America.
o Meredith Poppler is the vice president of industry growth for IHRSA-International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, based in Boston. She has represented IHRSA since 1992 and holds a dual degree in marketing and finance from Syracuse University.
- In the annual Babolat Sales Awards, Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop in Minneapolis, Minn., was named the Babolat Retail Shop of the Year, while Rick Walsh was named the Top Sales Representative of the Year. Walsh covers the Missouri Valley territory. New for 2010, the “Tennis Runs in Our Blood” award is given to the individual or business that stands out in promoting, supporting and elevating the Babolat brand in an unparalleled and passionate way. That award was given to Tennis Warehouse, which is known for going the extra mile to promote Babolat products.
- Russian-born Anna Kournikova has become a U.S. citizen according to her interview in Maxim magazine, where she is featured on the cover in this month’s issue. “I’ve always considered myself half-Russian and half-American. It never seemed to really matter if I had a passport or not,” said Kournikova. “But when I started working with the (United Services Organizations) and the troops overseas, it just seemed the logical next step.”
- According to his official website, Robby Ginepri had surgery last week after breaking his arm in a bike riding accident. Ginepri will miss the rest of the 2010 season, but plans to return at the start of next season.
- According to his official website, Fernando Gonzalez will sidelined for up to nine months after deciding to undergo hip and possible knee surgery in New York in early October.
- Evgeny Korolev will have elbow surgery this week and is expected to miss four months, ending his 2010 season.
- Mikel Sanchez, the surgeon who treated Rafael Nadal’s knees earlier in 2010, tells the media outlet, Medca, that even though Nadal’s injury is healed, the physical toll of training and playing could cause it to re-occur at some stage in his career. “The tendon is cured — wider, with a different physical appearance, but cured,” said Sanchez. “At the moment I’m not doing anything, but will probably have to return.” Nadal received injections of enriched blood plasma in his knees in May and July. After winning Monte Carlo, he missed Barcelona to undergo treatment. Since then, he has lost only three matches and won five tournaments, which includes the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. “He’s going to continue at the same rhythm and there is a risk that his tendons will degenerate again. That is why you cannot say this is a permanent treatment. Plus, it could occur in other tendons such as the Achilles.”
- The USTA Nominating Committee announced the nomination of Jonathan Vegosen as USTA Chairman of the Board and President to serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2011. Vegosen, who has served on the USTA Board of Directors for four years and is currently completing a two-year term as First Vice President, is a long-time volunteer who, for over 25 years, has raised funds for tennis causes. He has also devoted more than 16 years of volunteer service to the sport of tennis at the district, sectional, national and international levels. When elected, Vegosen will become the 50th Chairman of the Board and President of the USTA. In addition to his USTA Board responsibilities, Vegosen will continue to serve as a member of the Compensation and International Committees and continue representing the USTA on the Grand Slam Committee and the ITF Constitutional Committee. Vegosen will continue to serve as a board member for both USTA Serves, the charitable arm of the USTA and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Vegosen is a former collegiate tennis player at Northwestern, where he was the captain of his team. He was selected to the 1973 All-Big Ten Conference Team. Vegosen received his B.A. from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, graduating Cum laude. In addition to the Vegosen nomination, the following individuals have been nominated as the slate of new officers and directors of the USTA Board:o David A. Haggerty, of Pennington, N.J., and the USTA Middle States Section, is currently a Vice President on the USTA Board of Directors and has been nominated as First Vice President.
o Katrina M. Adams, of White Plains, N.Y., and the USTA Eastern Section, is currently an Elite Athlete and a Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors and has been nominated as Vice President.
o Carol J. Welder, of Austin, Texas, and the USTA Texas Section, is currently a Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors and has been nominated as Vice President.
o Donald L. Tisdel, of Lake Oswego, Ore., and the USTA Pacific Northwest Section, is re-nominated for his third consecutive term as Secretary-Treasurer of the USTA Board of Directors.
o Seth G. Abraham, of New York, N.Y., and the USTA Eastern Section, is nominated for his first term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o Dale G. Caldwell, of New Brunswick, N.J., and the Eastern Section, is nominated for his first term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o William J. Kellogg, of La Jolla, Calif., and the USTA Southern California Section, is nominated for his first term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o John N. Korff, of Key Biscayne, Fla., and the USTA Florida Section, is nominated for his third term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o Delaine B. Mast, of Lancaster, Pa., and the USTA Middle States Section, is nominated for her first term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o Andrew A. Valdez, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and the USTA Intermountain Section, is nominated for his first term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o Patrick J. Galbraith, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and the USTA Pacific Northwest, is nominated for a third term as an Elite Athlete and a Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o Chanda Rubin, of Lafayette, La., and the USTA Southern Section, is nominated for her first term as an Elite Athlete and a Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.
o Jeffrey G. Tarango, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., and the USTA Southern California Section, is nominated for his first term as an Elite Athlete and a Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors.