David Haggerty was elected ITF President at the ITF Annual General Meeting in Santiago, Chile on Friday. The 58-year old from the United States succeeds Francesco Ricci Bitti, whose 16-year term as ITF President ends today. Haggerty will serve a four-year term from 2015-19.
A “Rally the Family” campaign designed to bring more players into the sport of tennis was unveiled by the USTA and TIA at the 8th Annual TIA Tennis Forum, held in New York City during the 2015 US Open. The new family tennis initiative will be rolled out to consumers in March, said Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis.
It was at the US Open in 2005 when Cardio Tennis made its national debut, with sessions and demonstrations in the Indoor Courts building that included celebrities and major media coverage. Launched by the TIA in conjunction with the USTA, the focus of Cardio Tennis is on health, fitness, and cardiovascular exercise. As a result of the fitness-based element and social atmosphere, the program has grown its participation base in the U.S. to more than 1.6 million Americans.
Tennis facility owners and managers should mark March 23 to 25 on their calendars now, as the third annual Tennis Owners & Managers (T.O.M.) Conference takes shape in Miami, during the Miami Open pro tournament. Among the important topics will be the new, industry-wide “Rally the Family” campaign and how tennis facilities can take advantage of this nationwide initiative to help boost business while increasing participation for all ages.
ESPN’s first exclusive US Open resulted in the tournament’s biggest TV audience in four years – capped by a Men’s Championship seen by 43 percent more people than last year – plus an explosion of live streaming on WatchESPN. The average audience across two weeks on ESPN and ESPN2 was 1,265,000 viewers (P2+), up 20 percent compared to 1,054,000 a year ago with a combination of cable and broadcast telecasts, according to Nielsen. It was the most-viewed US Open since 2011 (1,443,000).
John Suchenski, the senior manager of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, is the newest member of the Tennis Industry Association’s Board of Directors. Suchenski oversees the network’s portfolio of tennis and golf properties and maintains relationships with the tournaments, event organizers, and other industry partners.
The tennis world went glam off the courts during US Open Finals weekend when more than 500 guests gathered on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City for The Legends Ball presented by BNP Paribas. The annual social event hosted by the International Tennis Hall of Fame celebrated tennis and honors some of the sport's greatest champions and contributors.
In a special ceremony on Sept. 9 at the US Open, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) honored former Hall of Fame CEO Mark L. Stenning by presentation of the 2015 Golden Achievement Award. The Golden Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion, or education, and who has devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.