ATP - informacje ogólne

[Damian]

Ronaldo's Backhand: Does This Look Familiar?

Spoiler:

Football legend shares a picture of his one-handed backhand
Football legend Ronaldo doesn't need to convince anyone of his skills on the pitch. But on Wednesday, the Brazilian showed he has talent in another sport, too: tennis.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner posted a photo on Instagram of his one-handed backhand, to which Brazilian doubles star Marcelo Melo commented, "Wawrinka copied the backhand for sure!" Former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka has one of the best backhands in the world.


<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/stan ... view'>Stan Wawrinka</a>
Stan Wawrinka hits a one-handed backhand at Roland Garros in 2020. Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Ronaldo has long attended tennis events, including the Mutua Madrid Open, the Rio Open presented by Claro and Roland Garros. According to Melo, "He loves tennis, always come to Madrid. He plays okay, actually."

Ronaldo, Federer
Ronaldo meets with Roger Federer in Madrid in 2006. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
There were plenty of people impressed with Ronaldo's form. Iker Casillas, a Spanish goalkeeper, wrote, "Pensaba que eras @Rafael Nadal", which means: "I thought you were Rafael Nadal."

Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams' coach, who also advises Stefanos Tsitsipas among others, commented, "Love that! One-handed backhand is the ultimate tennis shot!"

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/ronaldo ... march-2021

[Kiefer]

Ronaldo's Backhand: Does This Look Familiar?

Spoiler:

Football legend shares a picture of his one-handed backhand
Football legend Ronaldo doesn't need to convince anyone of his skills on the pitch. But on Wednesday, the Brazilian showed he has talent in another sport, too: tennis.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner posted a photo on Instagram of his one-handed backhand, to which Brazilian doubles star Marcelo Melo commented, "Wawrinka copied the backhand for sure!" Former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka has one of the best backhands in the world.


<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/stan ... view'>Stan Wawrinka</a>
Stan Wawrinka hits a one-handed backhand at Roland Garros in 2020. Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Ronaldo has long attended tennis events, including the Mutua Madrid Open, the Rio Open presented by Claro and Roland Garros. According to Melo, "He loves tennis, always come to Madrid. He plays okay, actually."

Ronaldo, Federer
Ronaldo meets with Roger Federer in Madrid in 2006. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
There were plenty of people impressed with Ronaldo's form. Iker Casillas, a Spanish goalkeeper, wrote, "Pensaba que eras @Rafael Nadal", which means: "I thought you were Rafael Nadal."

Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams' coach, who also advises Stefanos Tsitsipas among others, commented, "Love that! One-handed backhand is the ultimate tennis shot!"

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/ronaldo ... march-2021

Gruby w formie, albo dobre ujęcie, inna sprawa, że on górę i łapy zawsze miał rozbudowane. Fajnie jednak wiedzieć, że jest na tyle sprawny i kolana pozwalają uprawiać ulubione sporty.

Czytałem, że kiedy dochodziło do rozmów z włodarzami Interu o przeprowadzce z Barcelony, to jednym z pierwszych wymogów był kort ziemny koło domu. W sumie nawet nie wiem, czy nie próbował do Kurnikovej świrować, bo kiedyś był na jej meczu.

[Damian]

ATP, WTA Players Unite To Celebrate International Women’s Day

Spoiler:

Players join forces with WTA stars to set aside gender bias
ATP Tour players today join their WTA Tour colleagues in celebrating International Women’s Day.

This year’s theme, #ChoosetoChallenge, is dedicated to further set aside bias and stereotypes, and to help forge a gender-equal world. In the world of sports, women have fought hard for equal recognition, respect and pay, and since the early 1970s, tennis has led the charge for unity.

ATP Tour players including Felix Auger-Aliassime joined in the global celebration of women’s rights. Players gave a shout out to the women in their lives who have inspired them the most. And it’s no surprise that moms received a lot of love.

“My mom would take the first position, she’s obviously the reason I’m here and she is the most important person in my life,” said Auger-Aliassime, echoing sentiments made by Diego Schwartzman and Alex de Minaur. “And my sister as well, she inspires me because of how much she works and how disciplined she is and how she goes about her life. My girlfriend, we’ve been together for almost two years now. These would be the three most important women in my life.”

You May Also Like: ATP Announces Player & Tournament COVID-19 Support Package
Frances Tiafoe named American actor and producer Viola Davis as someone who has inspired him.“The most influential woman to me is definitely Viola Davis,” he said. “One of the best actors I’ve ever seen, and actually I don’t think she gets the love she deserves. She’s achieved so much, and went through such hardship. I’m truly a fan of her and everything she represents.”

This week's ATP 250 tournament in Santiago, Chile, the Dove Men+Care Open, has special reason to celebrate International Women’s Day celebration.

Tournament Director Catalina Fillol gathered women on her team for a group photo on the tournament's ‘virtual stadium’ court. The event is a family affair as all four Fillol sisters work at the tournament: Natalia (Hospitality), Cecilia (Administration & Finance) and Angela (Transport) are all key members of the tournament team. The Fillol sisters are the daughters of former ATP Tour president and Top 20 player Jaime Fillol.

Chile Dove Men+Care Open

“My grandfather used to always say, ‘It's about much more than the ball'," WTA President Micky Lawler said. “I wondered, when I was a child, what he meant by that, and what he meant was that sports drives a platform, and so, you want to use that platform to its greatest benefit.

“It's about virtues, the virtues of being competitive, of working hard, of being the best that you can be. And then to create social change and to call for social justice.”

In recognition of International Women’s Day, WTA Tour players – past and present – came together to express some of the challenges they have endured and how they have persevered.

“When I was younger and starting to wear men’s clothes, I doubted myself,” said doubles champion Demi Schuurs. “But I was just being myself, and I think that's really important in life. I don't care what other people think about me and I just enjoy life, be myself and be happy. If you want to wear boys' clothes, if you want to love a boy or girl, it doesn't matter – be yourself, be happy and enjoy life.”

“Coming from the subcontinent, I think playing tennis itself was a big doubt that everybody had,” said Indian doubles star Sania Mirza. “I’ve been challenged from a very early age in my life, when I decided to play tennis and dreamt of playing Wimbledon one day. Every step of the way there were doubters, but obviously I am glad to have proven them wrong.

“I think that a lot of confidence came from within. My mom is one of the strongest women that I know. She was adamant and put in so much hard work for us to be where we are, for me to be where I am and I derive a lot of strength through her. She was the one who always believed that nothing is impossible.

“Never be scared to be the first person to do something, whether from your family or your country. If you believe in yourself and you work hard and love what you do, don’t ever be scared to be out-of-the-box. Don’t ever be scared to choose that for yourself and put everything that you have behind it.”

British player Francesca Jones echoed that sentiment. “Women have to build off each other. Ultimately, every woman has so much potential if they continuously put the work in and commit themselves. Just continue to believe in yourself and keep believing that you can achieve what you want,” she said.

“Every human being has doubts. It would be unrealistic of me to say that I feel 100 per cent confident in my ability on a daily basis. I’ve had people say before, especially when I was about 7 or 8 years old, that I wouldn’t be able to play tennis. That basically put fire in my belly to keep pushing forward and to commit to the sport and prove to myself that I can do whatever I set out to do. I am very lucky to have unbelievable parents who have always believed in me and given me the confidence to do what I need to do, and that makes it a little bit easier.”


Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova also admitted to her share of doubts: “I had a few doubts in my life - of course, especially after the attack. I didn’t know if I ever could hold a racquet and play tennis again after surgery. I heard many voices saying I would never ever play again at a high level,” she admitted. “My dad and my mom never gave up. I think it was very natural to have this attitude from them.

“Never give up. That’s probably my motto. When you're down, you never give up and try to be better.”

“After playing two years on the pro circuit, I started getting troubles with my back,” said World No. 113 Greet Minnen. “It was like a stress injury - I got it when I had just come out to everyone. It was something new for me and my family and I think it wasn't easy to adapt for the first time when I told them I fell in love with the same gender.

“I had a lot of good role models in tennis. Martina Navratilova did so much for tennis and for the LGBT community. I would just tell anyone to be yourself, to not feel ashamed. You always have to be yourself and try to be happy, and that's the most important thing in life.”

2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens echoed the importance of role models. “I come from a long line of incredibly strong women who have always given me the confidence to be myself and the resolve to keep striving. Find your hype team! Root for each other and pick each other up when times are tough.”

“As a Black American living in the United States, I am going to face racism, sexism and microaggressions,” said Leslie Allen, former World No.21. “My ability is going to be questioned, and I am going to be asked whether I belong in a certain space. That’s just how it is. But I learned at an early age how to deal with that. And I also learned that I needed to be twice as good to achieve. So, when you face those types of things, this is what I want you to know: It’s not about your inability, it’s about their inability to see your value and to appreciate and acknowledge your brilliance. It’s not about you.

“One sentence changed my life, and it came from two-time Wimbledon and US Open champion Althea Gibson. She looked at me and said, ‘Leslie, with your wingspan, you need to think about winning WTA tournaments.’ I had just told her, ‘I’d like to be in the main draw.’ It changed everything and I changed my goal. Within a couple of years, I was winning WTA tournaments. Set your goals higher than you believe you can achieve. You’ll be surprised with what you can do.”

Madison Keys, a US Open finalist, found her strength within. “Throughout my entire career, there have been a lot of times of doubt within myself. I think that’s life, honestly,” she said.

“I really feel good when I’m trying to support other people, highlighting other people. With my Kindness Wins foundation, I have been really inspired by all of the people whom we have gotten to know and highlighted, and seen all of the amazing work they have been doing.

“It’s finding a mantra that’s yours and what you believe in, and I think doing the small things could really help.”

“After my Achilles surgery, I doubted myself if I could overcome my rehab and practise in full again,” said Kiki Bertens, World No.11. “My parents have always told me that if you want something then just go for it. And try to do your best in whatever you are doing.”

“I had surgery on my wrist a few years back and I wasn’t able to play for a few months,” said Ons Jabeur, the highest-ranked Arab player in the world. “When coming back, people doubted me and basically told me to stop playing tennis. I always knew that I could overcome this, and I came back and even won my first junior title.

“My family stood by me and helped me get through this difficult period. They always made me believe in myself. I also had this person inside me that always believed that I could be a great tennis player, encouraged me to overcome this and this whole package helped me be where I am today.

“You have an inner power, everybody does. Try to use that power and make it worth your hard work.

“I have been very fortunate to find my place at organisations where being a woman would not prevent you from your goals. There are many closed doors that women have to face, but I truly believe that gender equality will continue to become a reality in the not-so-distant future.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/interna ... -challenge

[Damian]

Gaudenzi Reflects On Unprecedented 12 Months & What Lies Ahead

Spoiler:

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi reflects on a period of unprecedented challenge for tennis, the state of play, and what lies ahead for the sport.
In March 2020 the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells became the first tennis event cancelled due to COVID-19, and marked the beginning of a five-month suspension of the ATP Tour. One year on, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi reflects on a period of unprecedented challenge for tennis, the state of play, and what lies ahead for the sport.

1. Describe what the last year has been like for you at the ATP?
It’s been a year that nobody could have predicted. The vast majority of our time has been spent managing the crisis and overcoming the obstacles that are inherent to operating a global Tour during a pandemic.

The circumstances have been extremely challenging, and everyone has suffered in some shape or form. However, in general, one year on from the cancellation of 2020 Indian Wells, I think we can be proud of what our sport has achieved and the collaborative spirit that has endured to keep the Tour going during this difficult time. By and large, we’ve managed to preserve as many events as possible since the resumption of the Tour in August 2020, and we’ve prioritised health and safety every step of the way.

Pandemic aside, we’ve made good progress in some key areas. I began this role in January 2020 with a clear Strategic Plan for the ATP and the sport overall. It’s a big body of work that cuts across the calendar, prize money and profit sharing between players and tournaments, new category terms for tournaments, aggregation of rights, and fan data management (CRM).

At the heart of it all, the first phase of the Plan is about creating transparency and trust between our members to ensure that the 50-50 partnership structure of our Tour is working in an optimal way. I remain hopeful that the Strategic Plan will lead to a bright future for our sport.


2. Is there anything you are proud of and, with the benefit of hindsight, what are some of the things the ATP could have done differently?
In the past 12 months, we’ve had to make more decisions related to the Tour than were probably made in the last 10 years combined. From revising the FedEx ATP Rankings, managing the fluidity of the calendar, changing prize money levels and round by round distributions, tournament financial modelling, implementing health and safety measures, liaising with local authorities and obtaining international travel waivers, the list goes on.

It’s a huge volume of work and I’m proud of the effort our whole ATP team has put in, including the Board. Our Board used to meet a few times a year – we now meet on a weekly basis and the pandemic has totally reframed the way we operate.

I’m also proud of the cooperation we’ve built with the WTA, ITF and four Grand Slams during this time. There are many different stakeholders in our game, and the response to the pandemic has required a true collaborative spirit from all sides.

In retrospect, particularly at the start of the pandemic when there was little clarity and we were extensively analysing all options, our outreach to members could have been more extensive. That’s something that we’ve looked to build on progressively in the past 12 months in order to effectively communicate our decision-making.

As we’ve dealt with all the hurdles of the past 12 months, many individual circumstances for players - usually related to health and safety and travel restrictions - have brought the fairness of the Tour into question. We realise it hasn't been perfect, but our responsibility is to look at the big picture and do what we believe is right for the overall sport.

3. Players have been hit with significant prize money cuts since the resumption of the Tour in August. The conditions under which they are competing, including strict international quarantines and reduction in support staff permitted at tournaments, also put a strain on their mental and physical health. What is being done to help them?
Players are having to deal with long periods in controlled environments with fewer support team members. This takes a big mental toll and impacts their preparation for events. The quarantine period in Melbourne this year was particularly taxing, and we are seeing the knock-on impact of that.

Add to that the fact that players are having to accept prize money cuts across the Tour, and you understand the difficult and uncertain situation they face. Their resilience has been impressive.

We’ve tried our best to help. Last year, the governing bodies delivered over US$20 million in support payments to players and tournaments in a ‘bottom up’ approach to help those most in need. ATP recently announced a support package including up to US$5.2 million for raising the minimum prize money levels at 250 and 500 events until the middle of the year. Funds were primarily redirected from the ATP Bonus Pool - a move backed by top ranked players in support of fellow players. We have also worked collaboratively with the Grand Slams to maintain full pre-pandemic prize money - a major contribution considering the reduced revenues and additional expenses they’ve incurred.

This season, we are on track to retain 77% of overall 2019 prize money levels, and that number will only increase as fan attendance goes up hopefully in the second half of the year. We are also investing approximately $14m in sustaining the ATP Challenger Tour in 2021 – which is critical to supporting lower ranked players. We are proud that Q1 2021 is set to deliver 32 Challenger events, compared with 40 events in Q1 2019, including four top-level CH125 events.

Overall, since the Tour’s return from suspension in August 2020 through to February 2021, players ranked 51-250 have mostly maintained or increased their earnings from the same period in 2019/2020. If you track back to five years ago, they have all increased their earnings by over 50% relative to 2016/2017. The reductions have instead been focused at the top of the rankings, enabling us to protect those less able to absorb a financial hit. The top players deserve huge credit for the support they have given throughout this process.

On a mental health front, we are pleased to have established several partnerships and support services such as Headspace and an anonymous counselling service for professional athletes called Sporting Chance. It’s a start and we know that more needs to be done. Within the recently announced support package we have expanded the ability for players to bring additional support team members on the road – which will make a difference.

You May Also Like: ATP Announces Player & Tournament COVID-19 Support Package
4. The NBA bubble in Orlando was a solution that successfully addressed the complexities of travel during a pandemic. How realistic is implementing something similar in a single location for tennis, which faces far greater complexity in global travel?
Playing in the same location solves the complexity of international travel but doesn’t solve financial problems. The NBA reportedly invested US$180m in setting up and operating the bubble in Orlando. This is a huge amount of money, largely justified by the fact they stood to lose an estimated US$1.5bn in revenue from TV and league sponsorship deals were they not to finish the season.

For tennis, the economics are different. Tournament sponsors are local to each event. So, on top of lost ticketing revenue, if you move location you lose sponsorship and have to renegotiate broadcasting deals due to changes in broadcast slots and time zones. It would be almost like starting from scratch. The business of moving a global Tour to one location simply doesn’t add up compared to what a national league is able to do.

There are of course exceptions within markets where it makes financial sense, also from an event ownership perspective. We’ve been agile in capitalising on those opportunities, such as relocating the Western and Southern Open from Cincinnati to New York, and playing all Australian Summer events in Melbourne in January.

There’s no question that the scale of our Tour with 64 events, in addition to the four Slams, the time zones, our governance structure and the multiple different stakeholders all combine to make tennis one of the most difficult sports to manage in a pandemic. The external feedback we have received from other sports who are looking at tennis from the outside has been very positive. Ultimately, we need to continue assisting tournaments to weather this crisis and help them develop revenue streams that are better future-proofed. And for players, we must continue doing everything we can to make the Tour safe and financially viable within the current model.

5. Live events all over the world have experienced cancellation and financial loss over the past year. Is running an ATP Tour event still a viable business model for operators, and what is being done to future-proof this going forward?
Historically, our events have relied disproportionately on ticket sales relative to most other major sports, and the pandemic has exposed that. It’s one of the main reasons our prize money levels have suffered.

Even prior to the pandemic, we knew already that we must switch our focus to media and data, and COVID-19 has fast-tracked the need for change. I’m confident that if we do the right thing, we will be very well-placed as a sport and the value of our content will continue to grow into the future. But some changes are required for that to happen.

6. Events have all suffered, to varying degrees, from a loss in ticketing revenues. However, for the biggest events there are still considerable revenue streams from broadcast, data deals and sponsorship. How can such reductions in player prize money be justified?
It’s important to understand the economics of most ATP events. There are slight variations depending on the category of tournament, but on average ticketing represents approximately 40% of overall revenues, which is a considerable proportion.

Other revenue streams have also been impacted. Sponsorship represents around 35% of event revenues and have been reduced by an average of 30% due to the reduced visibility of having no fans on-site, and no hospitality. Broadcast revenues have also gone down due to the reduced number of events – our tournaments’ international media rights are pooled by category, so for each event that doesn’t take place, for example at ATP Masters 1000 level, that has an impact on the overall pool.

ATP events are losing more than 50% of their overall revenues, and these are events that operate on very small profit margins. That quickly means you have to reduce costs in order to operate, which unfortunately means reductions in prize money.

Our job is to try and find the middle ground in setting prize money levels that enable tournaments to still operate, while obviously still making financial sense for the players as well. Just as the players are competing under difficult conditions with reduced prize money, we’re also fortunate to have tournament promoters that are willing to take the risk to operate in this climate. Many ATP events have taken significant losses in the past 12 months, to the tune of $60-80m.

7. The pandemic has put obvious strains on both sides of the membership and raised questions about the decision-making processes of the sport. Has this prompted a governance review, and if so, what are the issues it’s looking to address?
We always need to update and evolve the way in which we operate in this fast-changing world. Internally at the ATP we have recently been conducting a review of our governance, looking at areas such as adding independent directors on the Board, addressing conflicts of interest, and imposing term limits. This remains a work in progress. No governance structure in sport or business, including ours, is without its issues. I fully believe in the 50-50 partnership of the ATP Tour, and our job is to continue to show how our structure is delivering for all our members. Negotiation and compromise is a reality in any structure - for us it happens inside our own Boardroom, while for some other sports, particularly in the US, it happens through collective bargaining agreements.

Involvement in decision-making is an interesting point with a membership as diverse in its interests as the ATP. All stakeholders have the right to vote their representatives and remain informed however not everyone can be consulted on every decision – it’s simply not viable or efficient to micro-manage, and it can be a challenge to manage those expectations. The Board is responsible for approving the overall strategy and direction, and management needs to execute on that with full transparency. We have a democratic structure and processes in place for decisions to be made, which require a huge amount of detail, analysis and time commitment.

For this to work it’s important we consider the checks and balances that are going to give constituents the greatest trust in elected representatives and the governance process. We have also worked hard over the past year to improve our communication around decision-making, following feedback from our members.

More broadly speaking about governance across all of tennis, there could be a lot of upside for the sport if we can make some progress on a unified governance to allow for the most effective decision-making across tennis. I believe this is critically important for the sport to offer the best fan experience and fulfil its true potential in the long term.

8. Last summer, in the midst of the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement highlighted deep-seated issues of social injustice and racial inequality across the world. As a global governing body that represents a diverse body of players and tournaments, what do you see as the role and responsibilities of the ATP to be taking a stand?
We are a diverse organisation with a global platform - therefore we have a duty to speak up for what’s right. Last year the Tours had a one-day suspension at the Western & Southern Open in reaction to the shooting of Jacob Blake. Tennis United became an important outlet for ATP and WTA to amplify players’ voices on several issues, from Black Lives Matter, to mental health and LGBTQ Pride.

Credit needs to go to the players for leading the way. Players like Naomi Osaka, Frances Tiafoe, Gael Monfils and Coco Gauff in particular, stepped up and inspired others to speak out. Marcus Daniell has done tremendous work in the Effective Altruism space. The desire to serve others is clearly there amongst our members and we owe them our support.

Until now we have been led by what’s important to our members. We have some work to do in getting our own house in order and identifying some areas where we can make a positive impact in a credible way. Our team has made a lot of headway in developing a new Purpose strategy for the organisation, and we will have more to say on that soon.


9. Last year the ATP unveiled a strategic plan for tennis, outlining a vision of a more unified sport, working together to unlock its full potential. Where does the implementation of this currently stand?
The details of the Strategic Plan were formally presented to players and tournaments in September 2020. We continue to work through the details with our members and the Board, and we hope to make further progress on that by Wimbledon 2021.

The pandemic has obviously put a strain on everyone’s financials and consumed everyone’s attention - inevitably that has slowed things down, but discussions are progressing well. We’re still working towards implementing the Plan from 2023, subject to the pandemic having subsided.
While Phase 1 of the Plan focuses on ATP internal matters, Phase 2 looks at ways we can collaborate effectively as a whole sport. As part of that we have set up a new ‘T-7’ working group with the WTA, ITF and the four Grand Slams - the group meets frequently and there’s a commitment to time and resources from all seven stakeholders. Everything is on the table, from governance, operational and commercial synergies, rules, and more.
10. Two of ATP’s marquee events, the Nitto ATP Finals in November 2020 and ATP Cup in January 2021, were able to be staged. What are the financial implications for the ATP of having those events go ahead?
In a normal year, our owned and operated events account for over 35% of the Tour’s annual revenues. Being able to stage these events was a huge boost in the face of severe financial impacts elsewhere. That said, we obviously suffered significant reductions in revenues, and we’ve been doing our best to save money since the pandemic hit. We cut overall compensation of top executives - the Chairman, CEO and Chief Legal Officer roles - across 2020-21, equating to a total of $1m in reduced compensation. We furloughed 10% of our staff. Another 20% of staff were at reduced capacity. We also implemented a hiring freeze, cut vacation time and bonuses and froze salaries.

The multiple cost-cutting efforts delivered a total reduction in operating and marketing expenses of approximately $9.5m. With all our revenue streams severely impacted, our savings still allowed us to fund ATP’s operating costs, including services to players & tournaments, and enabled us to deliver a 92% increase ($5.53m) in ATP contributions towards the member rebate compared to 2019 ($2.64m). This contributed towards approximately $20m in support delivered to ATP players and tournaments in 2020.

The ATP has managed to remain in a solid financial position as a result - however we must continue to be prudent in our financial management over the coming months.

11. Looking ahead, describe your realistic and optimistic expectations for the 2021 season.
We are cautiously optimistic that Q3 and Q4 of this year will see brighter days for our sport, with the return of fans who have been so missed. A lot of this depends on speed and efficacy of the vaccine roll out in the markets we play, which is happening at a different pace around the world.

From a financial point of view things don’t get any easier in year two of a crisis, especially for events that face a potential second year of cancellation or impacted revenues. Of course, we all wished for a return to normal operation to have come sooner, which I tentatively hope will be a reality in 2022.

In my opinion the collaboration and the resilience of our sport are the biggest causes for optimism. The past year has shown how much more we can achieve working together and highlighted the champion spirit of everyone that has held strong through challenging times.

I believe we will get through this storm and I’m optimistic about the future. It requires us to make some changes that are outlined in our Strategic Plan, but there will be big opportunities ahead if we can step up and do the right thing for our sport.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/andrea- ... march-2021

[Damian]

ATP & WTA Stars Share #StopAsianHate Message

Spoiler:

The ATP and WTA have come together to speak out against intolerance and hate affecting Asian communities.

In a series of video messages, players from both Tours called for greater tolerance and support, and shared personal reflections on the tragic attacks earlier this month in Atlanta, Georgia, which sent waves of grief through the AAPI community.

The united message also comes at a difficult time for Asian communities around the world, which have suffered from a rise in violence and xenophobia since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I hope that people start to respect and love Asian culture, Asian people,” Naomi Osaka said.

“I’m against all forms of discrimination, and please stop Asian hate,” Kei Nishikori added.

To find out more and learn how you can support, please visit: Stop AAPI Hate

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/stop-as ... march-2021

[Damian]

Tennis-Point To Become Official ATP Retailer In Multi-Year Partnership

Spoiler:

New ATP Tour online shop to launch April 1 with Tennis-Point
The ATP Tour and Tennis-Point have today announced a multi-year partnership, which sees the global tennis online retail platform become the Official Racket Sports Products Retailer of the ATP Tour until 2025.

Tennis-Point is part of SIGNA Sports United, the global leading online sports commerce and tech platform in the bike, tennis, outdoor and team sports categories. It also operates the world’s leading tennis online retail platform, with 14 local-language online shops offering one of the widest ranges of tennis products globally – in addition to 21 physical connected stores across Europe.

Through the partnership, Tennis-Point will connect ATP to the platform technologies of SIGNA Sports United in order to launch a brand new ATP Tour online shop, which will become accessible to fans via the ‘Shop’ icon on ATPTour.com from 1 April.

“We are delighted to partner with Tennis-Point, whose focus on the customer experience matches our ethos of putting the fan first,” said Daniele Sano, ATP Chief Business Officer. “In addition to their fast-expanding commerce capabilities, the brand’s creative marketing initiatives and an existing presence at ATP tournaments make it the right fit to promote the ATP Tour to millions of recreational players around the world.”

Tennis-Point will also look to broaden its global reach and awareness through dedicated brand exposure on the ATP Tour’s website and official social channels, which currently reach over 8 million followers.

Nelson Artz, Tennis-Point Chief Brand Officer, said, “The partnership with the ATP Tour resonates perfectly with our brand mission to be ‘more than just a shop’. We are very grateful to be able to join this family of global tennis enthusiasts.

“Together with the ATP Tour we want to further increase the love of our favourite sport and the number of players on the courts. The professional sport, with its spectacular matches and tournaments, is instrumental to driving the development of youth participation and making tennis one of the leading recreational sports overall.”

"ATP and Tennis-Point entering into an exclusive partnership is the culmination of the efforts we have made to develop our unique sports commerce and tech platform capabilities and to lead the sports ecosystem into the digital age,” said Stephan Zoll, CEO of SIGNA Sports United. “We are sure that the cooperation between ATP and Tennis-Point will be of great benefit to the global tennis community."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/atp-tou ... march-2021

[Damian]

[Bombardiero]

Podsumowanie pierwszego challengerowego kwartału.

[Damian]

Były dyrektor turnieju w Sydney nie żyje.

Craig Watson, Former Sydney Tournament Director, Passes Away

Spoiler:

Craig Watson, Former Sydney Tournament Director, Passes Away
Apr
20
2021
ATP Staff
Australian was also Tennis NSW Chief Executive Officer
Craig Watson, a former long-time Tournament Director of the Sydney tournament and CEO of Tennis NSW, passed away on 18 April after fighting a courageous battle with melanoma.

Watson came into the sport as an accountant for Tennis NSW in 1989, progressing to the role of Chief Executive Officer. After a 15-year tenure as Tournament Director, between 1999 to 2014, he assumed the role of Event Director, Legends Tour and New Acquisition.


“Craig was one of a kind,” said Craig Gabriel, the Australian tennis reporter. “Armed with a ready smile and infectious laugh, he had a great sense of humour, he was very down to earth and a tremendous Tournament Director, who built up relationships across the sport."

Watson's wife, Anna, and their two sons, Miles and Matthias, survive him.

More stories like this in:
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2021

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https://www.atptour.com/en/news/craig-w ... april-2021

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[Damian]

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Tale Of The Tape: Secrets Of An ATP Physio

Spoiler:

Nitto kinesiology tape allows players free, explosive movement
ATP players looking for a little extra confidence in their knees when lunging and sliding need two key things: high-quality kinesiology tape and the experieince of a qualified ATP physio to apply it.

So if you're a player lying on your back in the locker room, you hope that you find yourself looking up at six-year ATP Tour physio Seif Wardani holding a roll of Nitto kinesiology tape. The unique properites of Nitto's tape allows for a more unrestricted, explosive movement than more rigid tape. Below, we go behind the scenes with Seif as he walks through a typical taping process.


Nitto is an ATP Gold Partner and Title Partner of the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held in Turin 14-21 November.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/knee-su ... ology-tape

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Footballer Tony Adams Leads ATP Mental Health Session

Spoiler:

Footballer & founder of ‘Sporting Chance’ kicks off new ATP virtual speaker series

Kicking off the ATP’s new virtual speaker series last week, Tony Adams MBE, in conversation with Jamie Murray, led a wide-ranging and candid session discussing mental health in professional sport.

The session marked the first of a series open to all ATP players and coaches – as well as alumni, agents and tournament and staff members – aimed at promoting positive health and development across the ATP membership.

You May Also Like: ATP Announces New Partnerships To Ramp Up Mental Health Provision For Players & Staff
Adams, an English football player, captain and legend for both Arsenal and England, was one of the world’s best football players between 1983 and 2002. Despite his tremendous success on the field, Adams battled with alcoholism for much of his playing career.

Throughout the session, Adams talked to ATP’s members about his experiences, from his lowest moments battling addiction, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, to his greatest moments on the pitch and through to his eventual recovery. The legendary footballer recalled the difficult journey of learning to confront his problems and the pressures of professional sport, which compelled him to help fellow athletes struggling with their mental health.

Towards the end of his career, Adams founded Sporting Chance, a charitable foundation aimed at providing treatment, counselling and support for professional sportspeople. Sporting Chance have been supporting ATP’s player members since the start of the pandemic – a period of particular strain for athletes – providing access to free and fully confidential counselling.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/tony-ad ... -july-2021

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ATP Targets Net Zero Emissions By 2040

Spoiler:

ATP has become a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action (UNSCA)
The ATP has this month become a signatory of UN Sports for Climate Action (UNSCA), setting ambitious sustainability targets for men’s professional tennis. The announcement comes in parallel with the COP 26 summit in Glasgow, and the rollout of a comprehensive new strategy developed under ATP Serves to accelerate and align sustainability efforts across the Tour.

The UNSCA, a major international framework that counts over 250 rights holders and governing bodies as signatories, aligns the sports industry in working towards the <2°C warming target set in the Paris Agreement. As a signatory, the ATP has adopted the framework’s two global targets: achieving a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, by 2030, and Net Zero emissions, by 2040. ATP will be responsible for tracking and reporting key sustainability data over the period and will take part in regular working group sessions with other members.


To achieve the targets set out by UNSCA, the ATP has been developing a comprehensive sustainability strategy over the past 18 months. Created in collaboration with UK-based sustainability experts Jonathan Smith, Amanda Curtis and Kate Chapman, it sets a long-term agenda for the sport to become a showcase for environmental responsibility and positive impact. It aims to reduce the impact of ATP’s operations and build on sustainability initiatives at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The strategy positions environmental sustainability as a key pillar of ATP Serves, an umbrella of new purpose-led initiatives, alongside mental health and organisational culture. Sustainability strategy rollout has cut across various initiatives to date, including agenda setting, staff travel and offices, ATP season-ending events and development of player and tournament toolkits. ATP has also established a new strategic partnership with Gold Standard, an award-winning certification standard for climate change mitigation projects based in Geneva, Switzerland.


Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO said: “As a Tour we exist to inspire the world on the tennis court and serve beyond it. We are committed to delivering positive impact on the global stage and have been moved by the growing concern around the wellbeing of our planet. We know we cannot be distanced from helping to find solutions. This is why we are proud to roll out our new sustainability strategy and to become part of UNSCA, setting a clear agenda and ambitious goals for our sport for the coming years. This will be a long-term journey and, with everyone pulling together, we hope to make a positive impact and inspire our community.”

Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Sector Engagement Lead at UN Climate Change added: “We welcome the ATP into the UN Climate Change Sports for Climate Action and commend them for signing up to such ambitious climate action targets. We are also delighted to see how they are using their reach and influence to support and engage others on wider social and environmental issues.”

Sustainability

For a full overview of the ATP Serves Sustainability strategy, click here.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/atp-tar ... ns-by-2040

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ATP & Therabody Team Up To Support Player Performance & Recovery

Spoiler:

Therabody named Official Recovery Partner of the ATP
Therabody, a global pioneer in wellness technology and creator of Theragun, has become the the Official Recovery Partner of the ATP Tour, helping support player health and wellbeing throughout the season.

The partnership will take Therabody across the ATP Tour, as ATP physiotherapists incorporate the company’s products into their efforts to help players warm up, recover, and manage soreness at events.

Therabody’s innovative recovery products include Theragun, the world’s first handheld percussive massage therapy device, RecoveryAir pneumatic compression system, PowerDot electrical stimulation and Wave vibrating rollers, which are currently trusted by more than 250 professional athletes, sports teams, celebrities, elite trainers and medical practitioners globally.

The Theragun provides percussive therapy with the push of a button. It delivers a targeted deep muscle treatment to melt away tension, soreness and stress in seconds, while the RecoveryAir pneumatic compression system helps cut down on recovery by hours by simply slipping on boots.

ATP physios will learn best practices to effectively integrate the products into athlete routines by taking part in special education sessions through Therabody University. The company’s in-house experts will also develop bespoke protocols and education materials for players themselves, to aid their overall performance by optimising the use of their devices.

Todd Ellenbecker, ATP Vice President Medical Services, said: “Effective recovery and injury prevention are vital to protecting the long-term health and wellbeing of our athletes. This is a huge priority for us given the intense competition and extensive international travel involved in a professional tennis season. We’re thrilled to bring Therabody on board and leverage their expertise and suite of products in our day-to-day care for players. We are also delighted to help our players continue learning about recovery through Therabody’s expert educational programmes.”

Dr. Jason Wersland, Therabody Founder and Chief Wellness Officer, said: “The ATP Tour schedule demands for players to not only put continuous stress on their bodies from matches, but from the constant travel around the globe as well. We are excited to become part of the ATP team and help these athletes thrive both on and off the court, for many years to come.”

Therabody becomes the latest addition to ATP’s global family of exclusive suppliers and will benefit from visibility on ATP digital and social channels, including a new digital content series created in collaboration with ATP. The series, showcasing how whole-body wellness can enhance tennis players’ performance on and off the court, will be hosted on ATP Tour social and digital channels.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/atp-and ... artnership

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