COURTESY AP, USTA restringing andother areastohelprecre gear, newtechnology, theimportanceof advice fromadozen topprosontheir along withprintadsinTennis Channel anditssocialmediachannels, produced by andairingnow onTennis champions offertheiradviceonvideos liams andRafaelNadal.TheGrandSlam Federer,including Roger SerenaWil- of somethegame’s biggest stars, Angelique KerberAngelique (Yonex), Madison Federer Taylor (Wilson), Fritz (Head), Anderson (Dunlop),MarinCilic (Head), their racquet sponsors, are:Kevin play better. Theprosinterviewed,and ational players enjoy the gameand Campaign EnlistsTop Stars ‘Up Your Game’Industry EQUIPMENT www.tennisindustrymag.com A The “Up YourThe “Up Game”campaignshares Industry

has enlisted the help has enlisted thehelp out oftheirequipment consumers getthemost paign designedtohelp new industry cam- Information tohelpyou runyour business Magazine.

- Williams (Wilson) andCarolineW Williams (Wilson) (Babolat), DenisShapovalov (Yonex), Garbine Muguruza(Babolat),Nadal Christina McHale Keys (Head), (Wilson), ozniacki (Babolat). the videos, toplaytennis.com/gear. go coordinate themessaging. To viewall nel andracquet manufacturers tohelp Industry magazine. Tennis Channel,Tennis Magazineand the TIAanddirectorofpublishingwith game,” says Jeff Williams, presidentof is vitaltogetting themost outofyour Head, WilsonandYonex. equipment directorsatBabolat,Dunlop, Tennis Channelalsointerviewed key time toshareadviceandinsights, but Calif. Not onlydidtheprostake the players thisMarchinIndianWells, The TIAworked withTennis Chan- “Getting themost outofyourgear Tennis Channelsat down withthe News

Texas ChristianUniversity. scheduled forAug.9-13onthecampusof at theITA National SummerChampionships, awarded andsplitevenlybetweengenders $20,000 intotalprizemoneythatwillbe among collegiansandhigh-leveljuniors.” Circuit asthego-toforoffseason competition Rating, helpssolidifytheOracle ITA Summer level-based draws basedonUniversalTennis coupled withourefforts tomovesmaller, ings andmemberships.“Thisnewaddition, ITA seniordirector ofchampionships,rank during selectevents,” saysCoryBrooks, opportunity tocompeteforprizemoney thrilled tonowoffer circuit participantsthe $2,000 willbesplitevenlybetweengenders. At eachofthe11 events,atotalpurseof during the2019Oracle ITA SummerCircuit. member institutionstooffer prizemoney Association have partnered with11 ITA- most hours ofNCAADivisionI Men’s and coverage, Tennis Channelprovided the in Orlando,Fla. held inMayattheUSTA NationalCampus agreement beganwiththisyear’s event, Tennis NationalChampionships.The the NCAADivisionIMen’s andWomen’s network theexclusive televisionhomeof three-year partnership thatmakes the junction withtheNCAA,have entered a Introduces PrizeMoney Oracle ITA SummerCircuit 3-Year DealforNCAAD1Chps. Tennis Channel,USTA Form

Tennis ChannelandtheUSTA, incon - Oracle andtheIntercollegiate Tennis The new incentive builds upon the The newincentivebuildsuponthe “While justasmallfirststep,weare With more than50hours oflive match

July 2019 IndustryNews TennisIndustry

-

7 IndustryNews

Women’s Tennis National Champion- a networking vehicle, the Intercollegiate Tennis Racquet Performance ships coverage in television history. Tennis Association has launched the College at Specialty Stores Held simultaneously, both the men’s Tennis Alumni Network. The purpose of the January-March, 2019 vs. 2018 and women’s events feature team and network is to help college tennis alumni con- Units 2019 99,675 individual tournaments. nect, support current players and alumni as 2018 104,135 The agreement expands the they transition into their chosen field of % change vs. ’18 -4% network’s coverage of college tennis interest, and build an advocate base for Dollars 2019 $16,929,000 at the USTA National Campus. Since college tennis. 2018 $16,811,000 2018, Tennis Channel has televised “We are extremely excited to launch % change vs. ’18 1% the USTA’s College MatchDay series of the Alumni Network and our expectation is Price 2019 $169.84 head-to-head competitions, featuring that it will be another tool that helps fulfill 2018 $161.43 some of the country’s top schools. The our mission of serving the college tennis % change vs. ’18 5% weekly battles marked the network’s community,” says ITA President and CEO first live coverage of college tennis. Timothy Russell. Top-Selling Racquets “We are incredibly excited that Ten- ITA Business and Development Manager at Specialty Stores nis Channel is committing to this level Corey Pregram will lead the initiative. The By year-to-date dollars,Jan.-March 2019 of coverage, showcasing college ten- online platform is free to join for any current • Best Sellers nis at its highest level and elevating and former college tennis players at the 1. Wilson Clash 100 2019 (MP) the sport like never before,” says Lew NCAA Division I, II, III, Junior College and 2. Babolat Pure Aero 2019 (MP) Sherr, USTA chief revenue officer. NAIA levels. 3. Babolat Pure Drive 2018 (MP) Benefits include a networking feed for 4. Wilson Clash 100 Tour (MP) ITA Launches College alumni to connect with each other in their 5. Wilson Blade 98 (16x19) CV (MP) Tennis Alumni Network area; alumni event calendar; job board; • “Hot New Racquets” In an effort to raise the profile of col- current college tennis news; and more. Visit (introduced in the past 12 months) lege tennis, engage alumni and provide collegetennisalumni.com for more info. 1. Wilson Clash 100 2019 (MP) 2. Babolat Pure Aero 2019 (MP) 3. Wilson Clash 100 Tour (MP) 4. Head Graphene 360 Speed MP 5. Babolat Pure Aero Team 2019 (MP)

Top-Selling Tennis Shoes at Specialty Stores By year-to-date dollars, Jan.-March 2019 1. K-Swiss Hypercourt Express 2. Nike Zoom Vapor X 2018 3. Nike Zoom Cage 3 4. Asics Gel Resolution 7 5. Asics Gel Resolution 7 2018

Top-Selling Strings at Specialty Stores By year-to-date units, Jan.-March 2019 1. Babolat RPM Blast 2. Wilson NXT 3. Wilson Sensation 4. Luxilon Alu Power 5. Head Synthetic Gut PPS

(Source: Tennis Industry Association)

12th Annual TIA Forum Set for Aug. 26 in NYC The 12th Annual TIA Tennis Forum will be held on Monday, Aug. 26, at the Grand Hyatt , starting at 8:30 a.m. The Forum will include the latest news and research about the industry, busi-

ness insights, updates on grow-the-game TOURNA, AP COURTESY

8 TennisIndustry July 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com IndustryNews

initiatives, and recognition of the 2019 ACCESSORIES Tennis Industry Hall of Fame inductees. Speakers will include Tom Cove, execu- Tourna tive director of the SFIA. This year’s Forum also will include an Partners with interactive “Discovery Challenge,” draw- ing out creative ideas to help address the Pickleball issues of engagement and retention in tennis. For more information and regis- tration, visit TennisIndustry.org/forum. Star Tyson

Geico Named a Sponsor McGuffi n of World TeamTennis World TeamTennis has announced a ourna has partnered with the new multi-year agreement with Geico No. 1-ranked professional pick- as the league's offi cial auto insurance leball player, Tyson McGuffin. provider. Geico will be the presenting T Available this summer for paddles are sponsor of the WTT's one-hour fi nals a pickleball-specific Tourna Grip and encore and season highlight show, to Mega Tac. McGuffin has been using air on Aug. 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Tourna Grip since he was 12 years old. The 44th season of World TeamTen- He most recently took the gold medal nis will be July 14-31. The 2019 WTT at the 2019 Minto US Open Pickleball playoffs, in Las Vegas, will begin with Championships. Visit uniquesports. the semifi nals on Aug. 2, with the WTT com, contact [email protected], Final on Aug. 3. or call 770-442-1977 for more info. McGuffi n uses Tourna on his Selkirk paddle.

People Watch

Tennis Channel has appointed new US Open tournament referee, approved unanimously by the USTA Timothy Athans to director, strategic and Jake Garner has been selected to board of directors. partnerships. He’ll be based in the succeed him as US Open chief umpire. network's New York offi ce and report Friemel takes over for Brian Earley, Steve O’Connell of Fairfi eld, Conn., to Irv Schulman, senior vice president, who retired after 26 years as tourna- has been named USPTA New England national sales manager. Athans will ment referee in Flushing Meadows. 2019 Professional of the Year. focus on expanding the network's ad sales reach via untapped USTA New England recently The ITF has named Jamie Delgado as partnerships and non- inducted Lesley Sheehan of an ITF player relations consultant, an traditional integrations. Stoneham, Mass., Jeff Bearup of on-site representative communicating Duxbury, Mass., and George Ulrich with players, coaches, agents, tours David Brewer will step down of Waterford, Conn., into the and tournaments. He replaces Andre as US Open Tournament section’s 2019 Hall of Fame. Sa, who held the position since its Director and USTA creation in February 2018, and joins Chief Professional The USTA is supporting Rennae Stubbs and ITF board members Tennis Offi cer the candidacy of Mark Woodforde and Mary Pierce as following the 2019 Dave Haggerty for ITF ITF player representatives. US Open. Brewer president and will nomi- began his career nate him to continue in One of the pillars of Southern tennis at the USTA in the the four-year position, is retiring. USTA Southern Director of spring of 1997. which he has held since Player Development & Programs Bill September 2015. The deci- Ozaki will end his nearly 30-year run Soeren Friemel is the sion to select Haggerty was with the Section and retire on June 30.

www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2019 TennisIndustry 9 IndustryNews

Short Sets NGI Sports Releases New Jack Hill of Elm Grove, Wis., owner of After 21 years, New Haven, Conn., will Pickleball-Specifi c Surface the court accessory company Match no longer host a WTA Premier tourna- TitanTrax PK is a new, patent-pending Point for 40 years, has sold the business ment. Earlier this year, the Connecticut pickleball-specifi c court surface devel- to Craig Schultz of Manitowoc, Wis. Open sold its sanction, and the event oped by NGI Sports. As part of NGI’s Match Point distributes accessories such will take place Sept. 9-15, 2019, in “Overlay Renovation Technology,” as tennis scoring devices, court numbers Zhengzhou City, China. Following an TitanTrax PK can be installed over existing and singles sticks. Visit match-point.biz; exhaustive sponsor search, the Tennis asphalt or concrete courts, or installed email Schultz at [email protected]; Foundation of Connecticut board of as new construction. NGI says the new or call 800-670-4964. directors decided to sell the sanction to surface meets USAPA and International APG, a Sports and Entertainment com- Federation of Pickleball requirements for With a change in management, pany with a strong footprint in Asia. surface performance. the Citi Open, an ATP 500 event, will The TitanTrax PK system “delivers opti- remain in Washington, D.C. Venture Midwestern State University and the mum ball bounce and consistency of play specifi cally for a hard pickleball,” says the capitalist Mark Ein acquired tourna- University of Central Oklahoma will company. Visit ngisports.com; contact ment management rights from the serve as host institutions for the inau- [email protected] or 800-835-0033. Washington Tennis & Education gural ITA Division II Men’s and Women’s Foundation. Ein has the option to buy National Team Indoor Championships, Wilson, ITA Recognize the tournament within fi ve years. both to be held Feb. 28-March 1, 2020. Students for Tennis Promotion Wilson and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association have named two students as winners of the 2019 Wilson/ITA National Promoter of the Year Awards. Anastasia Rentouli of Mississippi State THE EXPERTS IN University and Connor Christian of Ohio Northern University will receive STRINGING MACHINES a paid summer internship in the Grass- roots Marketing department at Wil- SALES AND SERVICE son's global headquarters in Chicago. “We are thrilled to welcome An- astasia and Christian to our Wilson Since 1934, Tennis Machines has been selling, servicing, and repairing team for the summer,” says Cy Dofi tas, stringing machines from every major brand in the industry. United States grassroots & promo- tions manager for Wilson. “They are EXCLUSIVE both dedicated and passionate in USA DISTRIBUTOR CALL US SHOP FOR ALL promoting the sport of tennis in their TODAY! ONLINE PRINCE schools and communities.” MACHINES Each year, the Wilson/ITA National STRINGING MACHINE SERVICES Promoter of the Year Award recogniz- • Lockout and constant pull tension head repair • Base clamps • es two student-athletes who advance the sport of tennis by devoting con- • Activation switch • Potentiometer • String clamps • Dog kits • sistent time and effort to promotional • Calibration • Brake disc • Turntable repairs • Load cell • Sensors • activities, and by supporting and • Circuit boards and power switch • bringing awareness to their school program and to the game at large.

  Tennis Resorts Online Names  2019 Top Resorts, Camps St. Louis • Nashville • Memphis • Online Tennis Resorts Online (TRO) recently published its rankings of the Top 100 1.800.572.1055 WWW.TENNISMACHINES.COM ST. LOUIS, MO Tennis Resorts and Camps for 2019.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South NGI SPORTS COURTESY

10 TennisIndustry July 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com IndustryNews

Carolina and the Roy Emerson Ten- a set and $99.95 for 660-foot reels. part of USTA Player Development’s annual nis Weeks at the Gstaad Palace in Visit uniquesports.com; contact sales@ Team USA Coaching Awards. Lakes Tennis Switzerland once again took the No. uniquesports.com; or call 770-442-1977. Academy in Frisco, Texas, was recognized as 1 spots. The rankings are based on the 2018 Team USA Developmental Program reviews submitted by tennis vaca- Team USA Announces of the Year, while USTA Southern California tioners over the past year. Annual Coaching Awards was named the 2018 Team USA Player TRO’s list is made up of large Joseph Gilbert was named the 2018 Team Development Section of the Year. Renowned resorts and small retreats; luxuri- USA Developmental Coach of the Year as coach Jose Higueras was also honored. ous properties and modest; beach, mountain and desert settings. “What they have in common,” says TRO Founder Roger Cox, “is that elusive quality we call ‘tennis atmosphere,’ an almost palpable sense of deep-seated enthusiasm for the game.” Tennis Resorts: 1. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, S.C.; 2. Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, Calif.; 3. Wild Dunes Resort, S.C.; 4. The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Fla.; 5. Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria Tennis Camps: 1. Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks, Switzerland; 2. PBI Tennis Camp, Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria; 3. Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Fla.; 4. John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, Texas; 5. New England Tennis Holidays at Sugarbush, Vt. Visit tennisresortsonline.com/ top100 for the complete list.

Tourna Introduces Big Hitter Deuce Co-Poly

Available now from Tourna is the Big Hitter Deuce, which is a blend of blue and red co-poly. Thermal heat treatments bond the two colors together at the molecular level for a round, smooth poly- ester string that Tourna says provides huge spin and the best of power and comfort. “The power in Big Hitter Deuce comes from the Tourna Big Hitter Blue, and the comfort is from the Tourna Big Red,” says Kevin Niksich, VP and owner of Tourna.

COURTESY TOURNA COURTESY The string retails for $9.95

www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2019 TennisIndustry 11 IndustryNews

NYC Racquet Sports Launches Subscription Tennis Box Service NYC Racquet Sports has launched its Box subscription service. The fi rst Tennis Box was created for the 2019 , curating pre- mium and special-edition tennis items and products, delivered to consumers. Each Grand Slam Box is valued up to $160 and curated to coincide with each of the four Grand Slam tourna- RACQUETS ments, giving consumers access to the latest tennis products—including early use of items that will be featured Wilson Off ers 'Bold' Designs at the Grand Slams—as well as every- day tennis staples. in Black and White Frames The Grand Slam Box Club is $280 per year for annual membership, $150 ilson’s new Bold Edition Collection offers racquets and accessories in for a 6-month membership, or $80 for an eye-catching black-and-white design. The new collection will fea- one box. Each box includes free ship- ture signature racquets from several of Wilson’s core models, including ping or in-store pickup. Wthe Pro Staff 97L (retail price $249) Blade 98S ($229), Ultra 100L ($199) and Ultra Members can save 50 percent or 26 ($89). In addition, Wilson will offer a line of “Bold Edition” bags to compli- more on retail prices. Sign up at ment the racquets, including the Super Tour Racquet Bag ($104) and Super Tour grandslamboxclub.com. Backpack ($84). Visit wilson.com. PTR Celebrates 30 Years of

Natalia Mayara reaches for a shot. In September, the PTR celebrates 30 years of hosting the Wheelchair Tennis Championships on Hilton Head Island, S.C., which will take place from Sept. 19 to 22. The Championships includes all levels of play in men’s, women’s, quad and junior divisions. The event, which attracts the world’s top players and Paralympics winners LOVE LOVE to fi rst-time competitors, is part of the Uniqlo Wheelchair Tennis Tour and is Club members and students will LOVE facing sanctioned by the USTA and ITF. It was off against the phenom. You will LOVE named one of only seven Grade A Junior offering the added advantage. Tournaments in the world. To assist in player development, a free clinic will be held Wednesday evening, ® Sept. 18. Able-bodied players are invited to join a Run-Roll Round Robin on Sept. ® follow lobstersports on play more. win more. 20. Then, on Sunday, Sept. 22, Harlon For more information, please call or visit www.lobstersports.com 888.380.9460 Matthews will conduct an Instructing OFFCOURT ONCOURT WILSON; COURTESY THOMAS; COURTESY PTR/DAYLE COURTESY

12 TennisIndustry July 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com IndustryNews

COURT EQUIPMENT Pickleball Tutor Plus Machines Hit the Market

ports Tutor recently expanded its line of pickleball machines Swith the Pickleball Tutor Plus. Features include topspin and backspin, ball speeds up to 65 mph., two-line drill function and the fastest feed rates for any pickleball machines available—at one ball per second, according to the company. The portable units start at 22 pounds. Sports Tutor has contracted with OnCourt OffCourt to market and Oncourt Offcourt distribute the line in the U.S. President Joe Dinoffer Contact OnCourt OffCourt at 888- displays Pickleball 366-4717, or visit PickleballTutor.com. Tutor Plus machines.

Wheelchair Tennis Certifi cation Workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., designed to train both able-bodied and wheelchair players in the nuances of teaching tennis to peo- ple in wheelchairs. Visit ptrtennis.org.

USRSA Names MRTs, CSs Master Racquet Technicians —David Gold, Sun City, Ariz. —Trevor Jones, Seattle —Sydni Lewis, Fayetteville, N.C. —Alex Manwaring, Arvada, Colo. —Henry Murray, Fayetteville N.C. —Stephen Philip, Mountain View, Calif. Certifi ed Stringers —Federico Pascuzzo, Torino, Italy —Cooper Wolff, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Bermuda Tourism Named Offi cial US Open Partner Bermuda will be the exclusive tourism partner of the US Open Tennis Cham- pionships, the USTA and the Bermuda Tourism Authority announced. The part- nership kicks off with the 2019 US Open. is Bermuda’s top source market for visitors, with the island being just a 90-minute fl ight away. Bermuda will have a signifi cant pres- ence at the US Open, with on-court signage and a social-media presence.

www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2019 TennisIndustry 13