The only bullish holdout for TYPTI smiled and pointed out that “Bellamy probably needs the money.” Hu?

MY TAKE: I give Steve Bellamy the benefit of the doubt. He probably really wants to save tennis from being overrun by Pickleball. But I don’t think TYPTI is the answer. It’s probably great for high-performance types like College players. That’s Bellamy’s and his son’s crowd. But for the recreational player? I can’t see it, sorry. TYPTI is not for recreational players imo! So, there is no basis for a broad acceptance of TYPTI in parks and in clubs.
Email me if you think I’m wrong here.

BLACK TENNIS HALL OF FAME

Induction Ceremony Rescheduled

DTB is doing it right!

The DTB governs tennis and, as of 2022, officially governs padel under the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). It manages national tennis rules, youth development, instructor training, and coordinates national teams for events like the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup.

Check out the contest they are currently running with sponsor Purina pet food:

Two ways to win prizes: for your club and for individual players. 15 Clubs can win Sponsor packages of €1,500 and a few more prizes. Main prize for players:

• 2 Tickets for the Semis of the Nitto ATP Finals 2026 in Turin, Italy

• Includes flight from a German airport

• Includes 2 nights for 2 people in a 4-star hotel

And you know what else is great in Germany? The DTB is heavily promoting the German Davis Cup tie with Croatia, September 19 and 20 in Halle. Ticket prices start at €39 plus VAT ($46).

Nice!

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Founding membership is available now (until September 1st) at americanracketsportsassociation.com/agency. 

CHARLIE PASARELL AUTOBIOGRAPHY “SERVING FIRST”
PUBLISHED BY NEW CHAPTER PRESS

He shares a deeply human collection of stories about the people who shaped him— including his tennis-champion parents; lifelong friends such as Arthur Ashe; and legends like Pancho Gonzalez, who mentored Pasarell and later faced him in a five-hour Wimbledon epic that remains one of the greatest matches in tennis history. 

The 1967 U.S. No. 1, a five-time Davis Cup team member, NCAA singles and doubles champion, and a five-time Davis Cup team member, Pasarell also co-founded the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the National Junior Tennis League (NJTL), and built the tennis tournament in Indian Wells into an event informally considered tennis’ fifth major.  (available on Amazon)

Here is the full press release.

WORLD TEAM TENNIS IS BACK! THIS IS BIGGER THAN A REVEAL.

It is a defining moment for World Team Tennis, and a rare opportunity for twelve players to build three clubs from the beginning.

​The crests are ready. The first names are on the team sheets. Nine more players are still to come.

​New York Empire. Florida Flamingos. Toronto North.

​The next era of World Team Tennis starts now. Read more.

PNW COO CHINA KIRK PROMOTED
Now COO and Deputy ED

Ah yes, the USTA’s PNW section. Remember my article last month? (https://racketbusiness.com/p/usta-pnw-questions-over-questions)

One of the main points of critique of USTA PNW has always been the obscene salaries paid there. Remember, we had whistleblowers come forward years ago, claiming that PNW executives were “looting the section” and made it the topic of many articles since then.

Now I’m reading in the PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL that COO China Kirk was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Executive Director. 

MY TAKE: The first thing that came to mind: This will probably increase her $307K salary even more (Regular salary and “Other”). I wouldn’t be surprised if she is going to be between $450,000 and $500,000 already with this promotion, which means that CEO Matthew Warren has to probably get a huge increase from his current $459,000 (Regular salary and “Other”). Right? (See the USTA PNW tax form for 2025, Part VII)

What do our readers say? Is that not “looting the section” stuff according to the whistleblowers? Email me.

How about the PNW Board? Are you all OK with this? You ok’d it… Oh, sorry, I forgot, did you all get your President’s Box tickets? That would explain it!

While the goal of building more affordable housing in the city is laudable, such a project within the boundaries of the overflow parking at Barnes is impractical for many reasons and would destroy Barnes’ ability to operate and provide support to junior players as well as local, regional, and national tennis, pickleball, and padel sports. The competitions and programs include the numerous League Sectionals and National tournaments, as well as the San Diego Open.

The list of all sites being targeted by the City is available here, with Barnes Tennis Center shown on page 3 of the PDF.

Marketed as “The global trade association for pickleball and padel facilities, suppliers, developers, and industry leaders”, the IAPPF should be a big, beautiful, profitable organization with tons of members and lots of sponsors.

But what I’m seeing lately gets me worried a little.

• Membership giveaways.

• Looking at their website, I count only 37 member facilities.

• Not a lot of social media action.

• Their CFO and Director of Editorial have both departed.

There are undoubtedly a bunch of sponsors —54 on their website, to be exact —but where are the members these sponsors could market to?

The only positive news I read about them was their new partnership with The Directors Club of America.

I reached out to IAPPF founder David Johnson to get some answers. Here is his reply:

Rich, I can very much assure you we are alive and kicking.

We have just over 500 facilities as members, mostly in the US.  We are transitioning from free accounts to paid memberships.  The facilities listed are recent paid member upgrades.

We continue to add new paid sponsors as well.

Thanks,

David Johnson, CEO
International Assoc. of Pickleball & Padel Facilities

Thank you, David.

After reading the article Is the City of Portland Preparing to Off-Load a Beloved Community Center? in the Portland Tennis Courterly, it was clear to me what I suspected from day one: It’s all about the profits.

Taking over as many tennis properties as possible, driving out the competition, creating a monopoly, and laughing all the way to the bank. Matthew Warren and his sidekick China Kirk have ventured to build the perfect racket and so enable a never-ending regimen of obscene salary increases. After the USTA Southern section, they are the biggest earners in the organization (or, as some of the whistleblowers alleged, the biggest “looters”).

If they don’t turn the section into a for-profit entity quickly, someone should alert the Oregon Secretary of State.

DRAG QUEENS FOR KIDS AT THE US OPEN

A tennis friend posted this on Facebook, and it went viral:

I personally have no problems with Drag Queens. The last time I saw a drag show was long ago at Paradis Latin in Paris, France. If you think that I, born and raised in Germany, am a prude, think again!

However, dressing this up like family story time - that’s where I draw the line. I thought when the USTA said no to Transgender players in adult leagues, the wokeness was a thing of the past. Nooo. It’s alive and well. Pride Parade, Drag Queens for kids and families- what will they cook up next? Unisex multi-stall bathrooms? Topless Fridays for Bankers?

Here are some comments from all sorts of people on Facebook:

• What the hell is wrong with those EFFIN MORONS?

• Unbelievable… what does this bullshit have to do with family values and tennis…

• USTA requires all coaches to be “Safe Sport” certified… this is to protect children from predatory and immoral influences… are the drag queens “Safe Sport” certified?

• Child sexual abuse, grooming!

• Disgusting!

• Morons!

• US Open Tennis Championships is hosting a "Drag Queen Family Storytime" for CHILDREN. How does this have anything to do with tennis??? Parents, BEWARE.

• WTF- drag queen family day at US Open? Not sure how sponsors allow this to happen, they need a Bud Light moment to remember.

What do you think? Email me.

US OPEN TICKET PRICES

Matthew Futterman laid it all out in The Atlantic: U.S. Open ticket prices are skyrocketing, from grounds passes to luxury seats. This is why. The author starts, There’s one question that every type of U.S. Open fan is asking, from die-hard tennis wonks to executives who control corporate entertainment expenses:

What’s up with these ticket prices?

The price increases and unchecked resale market are causing frustration among fans of all ages, who feel priced out of an event that they are told they are making culturally meaningful, whether to roam the grounds or to watch the starriest matches of the day.

And then Jon Wertheim chimed in with his June 26 article in Sports Illustrated Why U.S. Open Ticket Prices Are Soaring. His investigation is as thorough as always. What amazed me most is the following finding:

The USTA absolutely benefits from this overheated resale market. It gets ticket revenue from the primary sale and then again—for the very same ticket—from the resale. Yes, the USTA gets a “scrape” (a legal kickback or legal revenue share) from Ticketmaster on the resold tickets. This is a portion of the fees Ticketmaster charges the secondary seller and buyer, and not the ticket prices, but anyone who has used Ticketmaster knows these fees can be exorbitant.

MY TAKE: I’ve been saying it for years. Fans of all ages are often outraged because the US Open is only affordable if you are really well off. And kids over 2 years must pay full price! And why are tickets so expensive?

1. To pay obscene salaries and perks at USTA National.
Millions to top executives plus generous benefits and perks other employees can only dream of.

2. To pay obscene salaries and perks at the sections.
Just look at PNW. Paying the 3 top executives over a million dollars, is that OK with you? It’s OK with the Board. No wonder they are always hungry for revenue and compete with private clubs to the point where they seem to drive them out of business. Is that OK with you?

3. To award even more money to players who are already making millions.
I have no problem giving players above a 100 ranking more money so they can afford to be on the tour. But do you really think Alcaraz and Sabalenka would stay away if the champion made only $3 million instead of the new $5.5 million?

Just saved you $5 million, USTA. You’re welcome. Use it for REALLY growing grassroots tennis instead of lip service!

(Oh, and before I forget to remind you about something I’ve been suggesting for a while: Use the $800 million wasted on improving the US Open for College Tennis. Give every one of those approx. 800 College Tennis programs a cool million. That should secure their future for a while AND make sure we grow a good pipeline of teaching professionals.)

Btw, I recommend reading one of Javier Palenque’s latest articles that hits home when it comes to looking at the USTA’s US Open strategy:
WHEN THE USTA TRIES TO BE TIFFANY

What do you think? Email me.

BAD NEWS ABOUT US OPEN HONEY DEUCES

Here is what the Daily Playbook wrote on August 20:

US Open Signature Cocktail Drives $17.2M In Annual Sales

• The famous tennis tournament sold roughly 740K Honey Deuce drinks last year at $23 each, creating a massive new revenue stream. 

• To manage surging demand, organizers installed a fast draft system that lets bartenders pour the popular vodka drink in just 12 seconds. 

• Veteran mixologist Nick Mautone invented the iconic beverage nearly 20 years ago, using honeydew melon balls that cleverly resemble miniature tennis balls.

My regular readers know why I highlighted the passage about the fast draft system. Let’s go back to last year’s US Open. My article the following month had one big question: Where’s the Vodka? (Publisher’s Notes for October, 2025) After trying a Honey Deuce, everyone I asked gave me the same reply: I can’t taste the vodka.

You know what I’m thinking? Someone at the USTA/US Open saw my article and got scared because I discovered the Big Honey Deuce Deception. Water down the vodka or just add only a fraction of Grey Goose compared to the original recipe. Pocket the savings.

And now, to make their system fool-proof, could it be that they decided having a bar person mix the Honey Deuce in front of people sets them up for uncomfortable questions? So, could it be they thought pre-mixing the cocktail somewhere else makes sure no one can tell how much vodka is in there? Everyone is used to ridiculously low alcohol content, anyway.

I think that’s bad news for Honey Deuce aficionados and other tennis fans. You can continue asking: Where’s the vodka?

Sports Business Journal reported August 21:

“Craig Tiley brings track record of innovation as USTA CEO

Craig Tiley approached his first week as CEO of the U.S. Tennis Association with the necessary urgency for the top tennis job in the world’s largest, single-country tennis market.

By 7am on his first day — 72 hours after going-away festivities with his former employer, Tennis Australia — Tiley was in Orlando, where the USTA has its national campus, dialing section heads for introductions. A day later, he was in New York for meetings with senior leadership. By Friday, he had jetted to Texas for that section’s annual meeting. Saturday, he was introducing himself by phone to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association board meeting.

“That first six days gives you a sense of what’s important to him,” said Craig Morris, CEO of USTA Coaching. They also give a sense of Tiley’s work ethic and how big a job he now faces, from overseeing the cultivation of grassroots tennis to the U.S. Open, reports SBJ’s Rob Schaefer.”

MY TAKE: During his almost 11 years in USTA executive leadership, Craig Morris hasn’t done anything to show us he’s worth the $850K they pay him. So, I don’t regard his statements about his ex-boss Tiley as particularly believable or valuable.

It is more likely that Tiley ONLY cares about the US Open. Why? Because that revenue guarantees his $2+ million salary. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was offered/guaranteed a big bonus once the US Open makes, let’s say, $750 million. That really means every other aspect of tennis in the U.S., especially recreational tennis, may not be his concern.

Look at his new statement about turning the US Open into “Tennis Disneyland”. Look at his latest activity of signing up Kalshi as the exclusive Prediction Market sponsor. He may convince fellow ex- Tennis Australia executive Craig Morris that grassroots tennis is important to him, but actions speak louder than words. Revenue, and dreams of future revenues, are the only keywords the USTA Board wants to hear,

We need to get used to that thought.

What do you think? Email me.