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Roger Federer Announces 2016 Schedule – This Week In Tennis Business with Kevin Craig

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by Kevin Craig

@Kcraig_tennis

 

Roger Federer Announces 2016 Schedule

Roger Federer has released his provisional schedule for the 2016 season via his Twitter account and will begin his action at the Brisbane International the first week of the year. The rest of Federer’s schedule will see him play the four slams; five Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Toronto, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris; the Olympics; and five other events throughout the year in Rotterdam, Dubai, Stuttgart, Halle, and Basel. The tentative schedule sees Federer only playing one event on clay, the French Open, meaning he will be taking about a two month break from the middle of March to the middle of May. By playing the majority of his season on hard courts and only playing in 16 tournaments total, Federer may be prioritizing the 2016 Summer Olympics, as he is looking to win is first gold medal in singles.

Serena Williams Wins Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year Award

After her great 2015 season, Serena Williams became the first tennis player to win the award since Arthur Ashe in 1992, and the first female tennis player since Chris Evert in 1976. Not much can be said about Williams’ year that hasn’t been said already, as she won the first three majors of the year and came within two matches of finishing the calendar grand slam. This is a positive for the tennis world as the sport gets some massive international attention with Williams beating out American Pharaoh, the first horse to win a triple crown since 1978. Williams’ win also sees the award officially receive a name change from Sportsman or Sportswoman of the Year to Sportsperson of the Year.

Duran Duran to Perform at Miami Open

The Miami Open announced that Duran Duran will be performing at the Miami Open on April 1st, following the men’s singles semifinal matches. The band is on tour after releasing their album Paper Gods, which has been the band’s highest charting album since the early 1990’s. This event is part of the 2016 edition of the entertainment platform known as the Miami Open Experience that the Miami Open began in 2015, in an attempt to provide tennis fans with a much fuller and more unique experience. The concert will take place on Grandstand Court at the Miami Open and tickets are now on sale, starting at $60. If interested, go online to www.miamiopen.com or call 305-442-3367.

Jonas Bjorkman No Longer on Andy Murray’s Coaching Staff

Jonas Bjorkman will not return to Andy Murray’s coaching box in 2016 as Murray did not renew his contract, according to Paul Newman at Independent. Bjorkman took over the primary coaching role in the latter stages of 2015 as Amelie Mauresmo, Murray’s head coach, had given birth to her first child in the summer. Murray went through a great run of form with Bjorkman in charge as he made the semifinals in Shanghai and the final in Paris before winning the Davis Cup title, but opted to look for a change at the assistant coach position. While Bjorkman will not be returning, Mauresmo will be as she plans on working the majority of the 2016 season with Murray.

Rio Olympic Tennis Center Opens for Test Event

The tennis center that will be hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics opened up for a test event in which Brazilian tennis players like Thomaz Bellucci and Bruno Soares had the opportunity to get a feel for the brand new courts and prepare them for the big event next summer. The tennis complex is placed in Barra Olympic Park, which will be the main sports hub for the Olympics in 2016. The complex holds 16 courts in total, with the center court having 10,000 seats, and will be used for much more than just the 2016 Summer Olympics. In an interview with rio2016.com, Juan Margets, the Executive Vice President of the International Tennis Federation, stated that he believes the complex will one day be able to host large events on the ATP and WTA tours, possibly even at the level of the ATP Masters event and a WTA Tier One. Gustavo Kuerten, a former world No. 1 from Brazil, was also interviewed by rio2016.com and stated that he hopes the complex will be able to have a large impact on Brazilian tennis as the complex will be used as a major training ground and hopes the complex will increase enthusiasm towards tennis amongst young Brazilian athletes.

Rafael Nadal and Mahesh Bhupathi Team Up Their Tennis Academies

Rafael Nadal and Mahesh Bhupathi have combined their tennis academies in an attempt to boost Indian tennis and give young players the opportunity to train with some of the best coaches in Spain, starting in May 2016, according to Business Standard. Bhupathi’s academy has had tremendous success promoting the sport and has seen widespread popularity throughout India, so there will be no shortage of talent to choose from as Nadal’s academy will be able to seek out the players with the most talent and potential. Bhupathi claims that the main goal of his academy is to seek out raw talent and help young athletes be able to go into professional sports, so this collaboration with a 14-time grand slam winner will be pivotal for his academy and Indian tennis as a whole.

California Dream of World Team Tennis Faces Massive Financial Issues

After only one year of action, the California Dream’s future appears to be up in the air as the organization faces a variety of financial problems. According to an article from The Sacramento Bee, the team has recently been sued by their food concessionaire for $19,000, minority owner Bob Kaliski claims that he has lost $175,000 investing on the team, and one of the team’s main sponsors has not heard from any of the team’s owners since the team’s season ended in July. Sacramento held a World Team Tennis team from 1988 through 2013, but lost the organization when their owner was arrested for using the team in a Ponzi scheme for his own business, leading to the league ordering the club to be disbanded. Also in 2010, then-owner Lonnie Nielson was sent to prison for embezzlement involving the team’s box office receipts, so economic issues are nothing new to World Team Tennis in Sacramento. 2014 saw no World Team Tennis action in the California capital, but in 2015 the Texas Wild moved to Sacramento, as current owner Jeff Launius viewed the city that loved World Team Tennis. The Dream were able to make it to the Western Conference Championship with contributions from Bob and Mike Bryan, but the league has yet to hear from Launius since the season ended. Rosie Crews, World Team Tennis’ spokeswoman claims there have been no major warning signals that the team will not return next year, despite the economic troubles of the club that see the Dream owing its vendors $192,000.

Western & Southern Open Loses Tennis Director, Vince Cicero

According to Bob Larson at TennisNews.com, Vince Cicero has decided to leave one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year to start his own sports marketing company. With Cicero at the helm, the Western & Southern Open was able to set new attendance records in each of his five years. Cicero has a large amount of experience in the sports world, as he worked with the Cincinnati Bengals for 13 years and has ties to the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, and Marquette University, all of which have long inspired Cicero to start his own company.

Tennis Australia Board Director Scott Tanner Resigns

Scott Tanner joined the Tennis Australia Board in 2007 and has played a pivotal role in the growth of the Australian Open in recent years, making it one of the most popular sporting events in the world. Tanner has resigned in order to focus more on his other business interests which include being the CEO of the Bank of Melbourne and a director of the Melbourne Business School, this is also according to Bob Larson.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Nadal out for 10 Days Following Injury Sustained at Australian Open – This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

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ATP Winston-Salem Open hires Oakes as new Tournament Director

Bill Oakes, who previously served as the Tournament Director for last year’s ATP World Tour Atlanta Tennis Championships, has accepted the same position at the ATP Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest University. In his position as tournament director, Oakes will coordinate all tournament operations and will also assist with construction oversight for the new tennis facility being built on the campus of Wake Forest University to house the tournament. “Bill’s extensive experience with the USTA and the ATP, plus his leadership of the Atlanta tournament, make him an ideal tournament director for the Winston-Salem Open. We are extremely excited about his leadership.” said Don Flow, Chairman of Winston-Salem Professional Tennis, the 501c organization that owns the tournament. The Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest University will take place from August 21-27 with qualifying to be played from August 19-20. The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Olympus US Open Series.

Eurosport to continue covering Australian Open after inking five-year deal with Tennis Australia

After striking a new deal with Tennis Australia, Eurosport will continue to carry the Australian Open for five more years. Beginning in 2012, the first Grand Slam of the year will be shown in 56 countries and 121 million homes across Europe. The deal will extend the pan-European broadcaster’s support of the tournament to more than two decades. “This new agreement ensures that viewers in Europe will continue enjoying live extensive coverage of the Australian Open for many years to come,” said Steve Wood, CEO of Tennis Australia.

Li Na signs endorsement deal with Canadian-based SpiderTech

Li Na, the 2011 Australian Open women’s singles finalist, announced last Friday that she has signed an endorsement deal with SpiderTech, the world leading-developer of pre-cut and ready-to-apply kinesiology taping applications. The company aims to release a consumer version of its medical kinesiology tape later this year. This product introduction is aimed at providing consumer and recreational athletes with the natural pain release tape application professionals already use. “We are thrilled about the opportunity to partner with Li Na,” said Ray Arebesman, SpiderTech Founder. “Her commitment to our brand further cements SpiderTech as the leader in kinesiology tapes. She wholly represents our vision to bridge Eastern and Western healing and preventive philosophies.”

Rafael Nadal

USTA provides $45,000 in grants to 21 wheelchair tennis programs

The USTA announced on Monday that they would be awarding $45,000 in USTA Grassroots Wheelchair Program Grants to 21 wheelchair tennis programs throughout the United States for the third consecutive year. Grants were awarded to local organizations that promote and develop the growth of wheelchair tennis and use the sport of tennis to build stronger, healthier communities. Grant amounts were based on each program’s existing budget and the future programmatic needs of the organization. Recipients can use the award to meet the USTA’s grant initiatives including coaching, court time, equipment, recruitment and events. Some of the organizations that were awarded grants included, Adaptive Athletics Association of Mountain Center, Calif., Ala Moana Wheelchair Tennis Club of Honolulu, Hawaii, Far West Wheelchair Athletic Association of San Jose, Calif., Idaho Wheelchair Tennis Association of Boise, Idaho, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation of Philadelphia, Penn., Wheelchair Sports, Inc. of Wichita, Kan., and RHI Foundation, Inc. of Indianapolis, Ind.

Novo Nordisk adding four more scholarships; World Team Tennis now accepting applications

Novo Nordisk is currently adding four more scholarships to World Team Tennis’ Novo Nordisk Donnelly Awards program, which supports youth tennis players with diabetes. The 2011 program will grant $25,000 in scholarships, including two one-time $5,000 national scholarships and six one-time $2,500 regional scholarships, an increase from two regional scholarships in 2010.  The scholarships are awarded to male and female athletes ages 12-21, who have diabetes and play tennis competitively in tournaments or on their school team. Now through April 15, 2011, World Team Tennis is accepting applications for the 2011 Novo Nordisk Donnelly Awards. Along with your application, you must submit two letters of recommendations and a short essay explaining the significance of diabetes in your life. The awards are to be used for education, tennis development and/or medical care. The recipients of the $5,000 national scholarships will receive their awards at a World Team Tennis Pro League match in July 2011 from WTT co-founder Billie Jean King.  The scholarship program was established by King, through WTT Charities, in 1998 to encourage children with diabetes to lead an active life and compete in tennis.  The Novo Nordisk Donnelly Awards are named after two long-time World Team Tennis executives and tennis champions, Diane Donnelly Stone and Tracey Donnelly Maltby, who are sisters.  Stone was an All-American and NCAA doubles champion at Northwestern University, and Maltby earned All-Big Ten honors at the University of Iowa.  Both women have lived successfully with diabetes since childhood. To download the application visit: www.WTT.com/DonnellyAwards. For more information contact Diane Donnelly Stone at: dstone@wtt.com or (212) 586-3444 xt. 20.

US Open National Playoffs to return in 2011; Mixed Doubles competition now offered

The USTA announced that the US Open National Playoffs will return in 2011 with the addition of the mixed doubles competition. The US Open National Playoffs mixed doubles champions will receive a main draw wild card into the 2011 US Open. The US Open National Playoffs men’s and women’s singles champions again earn a wild card into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, held the week prior to the US Open. The US Open National Playoffs will again operate as a series of sectional qualifying tournaments, held in 16 USTA Sections throughout the country. The 16 men’s, women’s and mixed doubles champions from each sectional qualifying tournament will advance to the US Open National Playoffs. All three tournaments will be held in conjunction with the New Haven Open at Yale, an Olympus US Open Series event. The US Open National Playoffs — Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles Championship will be held August 18-21. The US Open National Playoffs — Mixed Doubles Championship will be held August 24-27. “The US Open National Playoffs is about providing players of all abilities the opportunity to connect with the US Open like they never could,” said Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “By adding mixed doubles, we expect even more people to dream big this year and enter one of the sectional qualifying tournaments. These tournaments are sanctioned by our dedicated USTA Sections, who make sure the players have a great experience.” Registration for each of the 16 sectional qualifying tournaments begins on March 15 at usta.com/tennislink. The entry fee for each of the sectional qualifying tournaments is $125 for singles and $150 for each mixed doubles team ($75 per player). All players competing must have a current USTA membership valid through August 29, 2011. Players, who can be of all playing ability, may only compete in one sectional qualifying event per calendar year. In 2010, 1,232 (859 men and 373 women) participated in the first annual US Open National Playoffs.

ATP World Tour and WTA Tour donate more than $50,000 for Queensland flood relief efforts

The ATP World Tour and WTA Tour helped raise more than $50,000 to donate to the Queensland flood relief efforts during the recently completed Australian summer hardcourt season. Both the ATP World Tour and WTA Tour donated $10 for each ace hit by their respective players in singles and doubles matches during the Brisbane International, Medibank International Sydney and the Australian Open. The donation of $51,070 is in addition to individual contributions such as Australian Samantha Stosur who donated $100 for each ace she served up in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, while American Bethanie Mattek-Sands donated five percent of her prize money from Hobart and the Australian Open. Brisbane finalist Andy Roddick donated over $10,000, which was $200 for each ace he served while playing in the Brisbane International. ATP World Tour and WTA Tour players also donated their valuable time to participate in the sport’s biggest fundraiser on the eve of the Australian Open, the Rally for Relief at Melbourne Park, which raised more than $1.5 million for flood relief. ATP players who took part included Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Lleyton Hewitt and Roddick. WTA stars who participated included Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka, Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic and Stosur.

Dunlop gives tennis fans opportunity to design racquet

Dunlop announced the first-ever Facebook application that allows tennis players the opportunity to design their own Biomimetic tennis racquet. The application allows you to pick your own color, place logos, and add text to the racquet frame. Once the design is completed, all racquets will be saved and judged by Dunlop. The winning designer will have their racquet made exclusively to their specifications. Dates and contest rules are located on the Dunlop Facebook page. The Dunlop Facebook page is listed as “Dunlop Sport” and is located online at: www.facebook.com/dunlopsport. “Being able to customize your own tennis racquet is a dream come true for many tennis fans. Now we’re combining that ability with the most popular social networking site there is, Facebook,” said Steve Hall, Marketing Director of Dunlop Sports Group Americas.

Malaysia and New Zealand pull out of Fed Cup

Without enough players to fill their rosters, both Malaysia and New Zealand had to pull out of their upcoming Fed Cup Asia-Oceania zonal group ties. According to Malaysia’s Tennis Federation Executive Secretary, they couldn’t find a second player as one player is currently studying in the United States and another player is on her own. New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic opted to play a challenger this week to try to gain more ranking points, while Sacha Jones is currently injured. “We didn’t think it was viable,” said Steve Wood, New Zealand Federation Chief.

Nadal out for 10 days due to injury sustained at Australian Open

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will be sidelined for 10 days due to a muscle tear in his right leg that he sustained during his quarterfinal loss to David Ferrer at the Australian Open in Melbourne last week. Nadal, who is currently recovering in Mallorca, is expected to make a full recovery. Nadal will be available to compete in Spain’s Davis Cup tie against Belgium in March and is also expected to play in the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Henin retires from WTA Tour due to elbow injury

Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Justine Henin announced her retirement from the WTA Tour for the second time, saying her elbow injury will not allow her to compete any longer. Henin originally retired from the WTA Tour in May 2008 but returned in the beginning of 2010 where she reached the finals of the Australian Open before losing to Serena Williams. During her loss last year to Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon, Henin reinjured her elbow which ultimately ended her 2010 season. Her last career match was a third round loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2011 Australian Open. Henin, won 48 singles titles throughout her career, including seven Grand Slam singles titles. The Belgium was ranked No. 1 in the world for a total of 117 weeks, which ranks seventh all-time. Henin, who had a 32-match winning streak that spanned from 2007 to 2008, won over $20 million in tournament prize money throughout her career. Henin, who turned pro in 1999, helped Belgium to the Fed Cup title in 2001 and won the singles Gold Medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. In a statement on her website, Henin said, “I spent the last days undergoing various medical tests and they have confirmed that my elbow has been damaged by my adventure in Australia. My elbow is too fragile and hurt…Having followed the advice of doctors it is now clear and I accept that here my career ends. I’m sorry…I had hoped for a different return and dreamed of a different ending. I will need time to process all this, but I remain convinced that even with little progress, my level with my return did not meet my expectations, despite everything I’ve learned a lot over the past 15 months. Finally and most importantly, thanks everyone. Thanks for standing by my side during all these years. I will never forget your support and your loyalty

FRENCH OPEN COULD BE MOVING AWAY FROM ROLAND GARROS: THIS WEEK IN TENNIS BUSINESS

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By: Justin Cohen

  • The French Open could be forced to move away from Paris in a few years due to problems with the infrastructure at Roland Garros. Organizers have been trying to make the tournament site bigger but the public and environmentalists won’t let it happen. A final decision on whether the tournament will stay or go will be discussed during a general assembly of the French Tennis Federation next February. Possible new locations for the tournament could be at Disneyland Paris or Versailles. “It would be heartbreaking to leave Paris but we have to consider it,” said Gilbert Ysern, the Tournament Director of the French Open.

    Stade Roland Garros
    Stade Roland Garros
  • Following the completion of this week’s Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, longtime Tournament Chairman Butch Buchholz will step down after nearly 25 years of service.
  • This week’s Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, the 26th edition, looks to be breaking records already and the tournament just started on Tuesday. Ticket sales are already five percent ahead of last year’s sales, with 21 of 22 sessions already showing an increase in purchases. If this trend continues, more than 300,000 could attend the two week tournament in South Florida.
  • SOBeFit and Marta Montenegro collaborated on Monday in Miami with Fernando Gonzalez to hold a silent auction benefiting the victims of the Chile earthquake. Sports memorabilia from Gonzalez, Serena Williams, Jim Courier, Victoria Azarenka, Bob and Mike Bryan, Fernando Gonzalez and former NBA great Alonzo Mourning was up for auction. “I want to thank all of the players who have expressed their concern for my family and me and offered their support after the devastating earthquake in Chile,” said Gonzalez.
  • Kim Clijsters has signed a sponsorship deal with Citizen watches. Financial terms of the agreement were not released.
  • Pat Cash has been hired by Tennis Australia to work with the country’s top junior players.
  • Former No. 1 ranked American Cliff Richey, who was a standout player in the 1970s, has written a new book “ACING DEPRESSION: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” that discusses his life and recovery from clinical depression. The book is co-written by his daughter Hilaire Richey Kallendorf and published by New Chapter Press.
  • Former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt has accepted a wild card to play in the US Men’s Clay Court Championships at River Oaks Country Club in Houston from April 5-11. The tournament will mark Hewitt’s return to the ATP World Tour after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum following his fourth-round loss to Roger Federer at the Australian Open in January. “I’m really looking forward to returning to defend my title in Houston,” said Hewitt. “The River Oaks Club is a great place to play and the people there really supportive. I couldn’t think of a better place to come back on to the Tour after an injury.”
  • The LA Tennis Open presented by Farmers Insurance Group announced a partnership with the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. To mark the new partnership, Agassi will play John McEnroe in a special exhibition match at the LA Tennis Center on the campus of UCLA on Saturday, July 24. Proceeds from the match will benefit the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. “I am excited about and thankful for our ongoing partnership with the LA Tennis Open,” said Agassi. “They’ve been extremely generous and now with the help of my friend John McEnroe, the Foundation can continue to provide the students at Agassi Prep with all that they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
  • Tim Henman will return to competitive tennis by competing in the AEGON Masters Tennis event at the Royal Albert Hall in London from November 30-December 5. Henman, who has recently served as a commentator for BBC during Wimbledon, has not played competitively in three years. “Having had a break for two and a half years, I’m really looking forward to playing tennis again,” said Henman.
  • The W in Washington D.C. has signed an agreement to become the official player hotel during the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Championships presented by GEICO. The tournament will take place from July 31 through August 8 at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park. “We are thrilled to be part of the Legg Mason Tournament and have the players actually stay in Washington while they are participating in one of the city’s premiere sporting events,” said Ed Baten, the General Manager of W Washington D.C. “The Legg Mason is a Washington institution, which W Washington D.C. is fast becoming, and we both share a passion for innovation and excellence while giving back to our community. We look forward to a wonderful partnership.”
  • Pakistan has appealed against its Davis Cup Asia-Oceania zonal tie being switched to New Zealand because of security concerns. The Pakistan Tennis Federation understands that they can’t host the tie at home because of recent bombings in the area, but would like the tie to be held on a neutral site such as Dubai or in Malaysia.
  • Former German Davis Cup star Boris Becker told the Sports Bild that he doesn’t understand why more German players didn’t make themselves available for the Davis Cup first round tie, which they lost to France. “Unfortunately (Captain) Patrick (Kuehnen) always has to field a B team. The Davis Cup is not that important for the players,” said Becker.
  • Talking to British press recently, Andy Murray said that there is no reason for the Lawn Tennis Association to only consider big names for the next Davis Cup captain of Great Britain. The statements by Murray could rule out former British great Greg Rusedski as the next captain.
  • Speaking to reporters at the recently completed BMW Tennis Championships challenger event in Sunrise, Fla., Radek Stepanek said he wouldn’t rule out a mixed doubles partnership with recently retired fiancé Nicole Vaidisova.
  • Maria Sharapova will be sidelined for 3-6 weeks due to an elbow injury.
  • Former New York art dealer Laurence Salander, who defrauded many clients including John McEnroe, could be headed to jail for six to 18 years due to his actions.
  • Bob and Mike Bryan were featured last Sunday on 60 Minutes. The news program followed the ATP World Tour Doubles Champions around for four months to capture their life on and off the court.