Racket Business - Publisher's Notes for March 2025

Hello, dear readers, friends, and tennis enthusiasts.

I hope February was a good month for you. It certainly was interesting for me. Tim and I have discussed where to take Racket Business in the next 5-10 years. My company Conga Sports has adjusted our Mission and Vision statements slightly. All good developments.

I finalized our presence at RacquetX 25, which will take place in a few weeks. It is very exciting to be part of this industry showcase. 

Spent a few days in the Bay Area for meetings with industry “Movers & Shakers” and for a little wine/champagne tasting in Napa Valley.

Visited Marcos Del Pilar during a Padel Level 1 Certification weekend at Padel Up in Los Angeles. (See article on the Padel page). Watched a boatload of webinars on expanding newsletters, subscriptions, and open rates.

I have received my media credentials for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and have also applied for French Open credentials. It would be nice to visit two of the best tennis tournaments in the world this year.

Highlight 1 of February: Visited one of the premier racquet industry events: The PTR & PPR International Racquets Conference in the Tampa Bay area. Had a trade show booth and reconnected with even more “Movers & Shakers.” Scroll down for more.

Highlight 1 of February: Visited one of the premier racquet industry events: The PTR International Conference in the Tampa Bay area. Had a trade show booth and reconnected with even more “Movers & Shakers.” Scroll down for a short summary and some photos.

Highlight 2 of February: Email from one of the best in the industry, Craig Bell. Referring to our February issue, he simply stated, “Always an excellent must-read, Rich!” Thank you, Craig. Made my month.

I hope you like the March issue and that you will learn a few things from it that will help your business thrive.

Rich Neher

Table of Contents

• RIP Bob Larson

• USTA Section Comparison - Part 2

  • Adjusted Section Overview Table

  • Summary of Results + Final List

• Invest in Racket Sports Efficiency

• PTR & PPR International Racquets Conference 2025

• Q+A with Tennis Maverick Javier Palenque

• Things that make me go hmmm…

  • USTA - The Perfect Racket?

  • Changes to US Open Mixed Doubles Event

  • New TIA USTA Participation Report

• Noteworthy (Desert Smash, USTA Fellowship Program, …

• Updates(Doping, Corruption, Transgender, Miscellan …

• Shout-Outs + One Funny Tweet

The tennis world mourns the loss of Robert K. “Bob” Larson, a visionary publisher and advocate who passed away peacefully on February 17, 2025, at age 93 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. For over five decades, Bob shaped the sport he loved, founding Bob Larson’s Daily Tennis News, leading USTA efforts, and inspiring countless fans with his mantra, “In life, as in tennis, nothing happens until someone serves.”

Last month’s Part 1

After some of you had issues downloading the USTA Section Comparison Part 1, we decided to combine both parts into one Excel Spreadsheet which you can find here.

We also corrected the typos and adjusted some 2019 data after realizing that a few sections had changed parts of their 990 filings. The new list reflects all those changes.

One of our readers suggested we reward sections with extraordinary results (thanks, Pat.) We decided to look at the profits without counting any investment gains. The rule we applied was that every section with a profit margin of more than 10% would get an extra Star for their rating.

We applied another change: Sections with outstanding results were able to receive more than 5 Stars. For 6 Stars, we awarded Gold Star status. For 7 or more Stars, we awarded Premier Gold Star status.

Read a summary of the results below the Overview table.

Premier Gold Star Section

The USTA Southern section, a 5-star section last time around, won extra Stars. Although we deducted one Star for producing a loss despite almost $14M in revenue, we awarded three more Stars for Executive Compensation and Total compensation. Southern became our first Premier Gold Star winner with seven Stars. Congratulations.

Gold Star Sections

Texas, Northern, and Midwest were all awarded Gold Star status on the strength of being leaner (achieving more with fewer people) and an Executive Compensation level that doesn’t look like anyone is “looting” their section.

Both Texas and Northern earned a special mention and extra Stars because of their extraordinary profit margins of 17.8% and 17.5% respectively. Northern also happens to be the most improved section going from 3 to 6 Stars. Congratulations!

5-Star Sections

Here are our 5-Star sections and how they did compared to last time:
Northern California (unchanged)
Southern California (+2)
Southwest (unchanged)
Intermountain (+1)
Missouri Valley (+1)
Florida (+1)

Bottom of the List

Like in 2021 for their 2019 results, Pacific Northwest stayed at 1 Star in 2023. Surprisingly, Mid-Atlantic lost 3 Stars and also ended up with just 1 Star. We asked ourselves what those two USTA sections have in common. Our conclusion: They are both top-heavy. Excessive Executive Incomes led to the complaints we received from both sections’ staff a few years ago and it appears not a lot has changed then.

Download the entire USTA section comparison with the link below.

Have fun reading it. For questions, email me.

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Mid-February became a little weird regarding one PTR issue. Remember the anonymous letter we posted in our February issue regarding PTR Board Nominations? The issue was that the three members of the Nominating Committee nominated themselves for another term on the Board.

While our research indicated that this move was legal according to their Bylaws, many PTR members didn’t see it that way. On February 8, Jean Mills's letter, supported by 131 long-standing members, went viral.

While a lot of people became engaged for and against taking action, PTR Chair Lynne Rolley came back about Jean Mills’s letter calling it “confusing and misleading inflammatory communications” by a “small minority of members.”

Lynne announced on social media that “…the Board has decided to have the election of directors completed at a later date this year.

Since I was going to exhibit at the PTR International Conference a few weeks later, I was looking forward to hearing what members were saying about the issue.

Much to my surprise, this topic wasn’t an issue at the conference at all. Everyone was in way too good a mood to let anything disturb the atmosphere. Lynne Rolley did the right thing and not even mention it during her introduction at the General Membership Meeting. So, as far as the conference is concerned, that controversy became a non-issue in my opinion.

(See article PTR & PPR International Racquets Conference 2025)

Javier Palenque, often referred to by me as the "Don Quixote of tennis," has embarked on a challenging mission to expose the United States Tennis Association (USTA) executives and their decisions, which appear to prioritize preserving their own status and incomes. This endeavor, reminiscent of fighting windmills, highlights the difficulties faced in reforming established institutions.

Following Javier's February 15 LinkedIn article, "The Frog, the Boiling Pot, and the USTA: How Tennis Got Cooked Alive by the Wrong People," I sought to delve deeper into his ongoing efforts to hold the USTA accountable. His subsequent February 18 article, "El Fabuloso Don Javier and the Pathetic USTA Leadership," cleverly alludes to Miguel de Cervantes' classic novel, drawing parallels between his struggle and that of the legendary literary figure.

These articles serve to illuminate the challenges within the tennis industry, particularly focusing on the governance and decision-making processes of the USTA. By consistently addressing these issues, Palenque aims to initiate a dialogue about the future of tennis administration and the potential for positive change within the sport's governing bodies.

RB: In one of your latest articles, “THE FROG, THE BOILING POT, AND THE USTA: HOW TENNIS GOT COOKED ALIVE BY THE WRONG PEOPLE” you wrote “…the only thing growing faster than the USTA’s bank account is the mediocrity it breeds and the stench of incompetence wafting across every corner of the world.” Can you elaborate on the incompetence part?

JP: In business, honesty is a fundamental rule. This is because market forces are always more powerful than any single corporation, and a lie can cost shareholders or owners millions of dollars—or damage their reputation forever. When the new chairman, a relatively young former professional and progressive figure, lies in an interview about the growth of tennis (see link), he spreads misinformation about the state of the sport without facing any consequences. By publicly making a blatantly false statement, he is essentially deceiving stakeholders.

This level of incompetence encourages further dishonesty, fosters a divisive "us vs. them" culture, and leads to issues such as hidden sexual abuse claims, concealed waste, and secret backroom deals that are not reflected in financial reports like Form 990. The USTA is widely mocked in the tennis world. Despite having more money than any other tennis organization, it fails to produce meaningful results. Meanwhile, the sport is declining, even with annual revenues of over $580 million. In a corporate setting, such mismanagement would be unacceptable to shareholders—but since the USTA has none, it continues to harm the sport with no accountability. This is called ineptitude.

RB: You repeatedly write that you want “all of them out of the sport.” How is this possibly going to ever happen? Are there ways we, the members, can do something about that? Is the Board really untouchable, too?

JP: In any corporate setting, there are leaders and followers. When leadership is dominated by the same group of entrenched insiders, it fosters a culture of entitlement, dishonesty, exclusion, and self-preservation. This environment prioritizes maintaining the status quo over real progress.

However, this problem is easily solved when a strong leader with a clear vision takes charge. By appointing new leadership that values transparency, openness, and results-driven action, the culture naturally shifts. Those who resist change will leave on their own. I have successfully implemented this approach multiple times, and it is entirely manageable.

Elon Musk demonstrated this with Twitter, restructuring the company to focus on efficiency and accountability. Now, he is attempting to do the same by addressing government waste and supporting Trump’s efforts in that area.

RB: A lot of USTA executives make way more than $500,000 a year and some are over $1 million. Is that unusual for an organization with half a billion dollars in revenue? Even if it is a nonprofit?

JP: The amount of money they make is not the issue—the real problem is what they deliver. The CEO, who has been in tennis for over 15 years and now earns $1.5 million annually (nearly four times the U.S. president’s salary), has a clear responsibility: fix the culture, grow the sport at all levels, and build a team of highly skilled professionals who can execute that vision.

Yet, despite six-figure salaries across leadership, the state of tennis has never been worse. This is why they need to go. From an operational standpoint, this is about efficiency—how much does tennis actually grow for every dollar spent on payroll? The answer is: it doesn’t.

If this were a private company, wasting money would be its own problem. But as a nonprofit, the USTA enjoys tax-exempt status while generating $580 million in revenue. If they want to operate like a private business, they should give up nonprofit status and start paying taxes.

RB: USTA CEO Lew Sherr said in a spring 2024 interview that 98% of the 4 million new players tennis gained during Covid have already left the sport. We reported extensively about that in our April 2024 issue under Publisher’s Notes. It was a major admittance, a personal Lew Sherr faux pas, and they quickly buried the entire interview on their site so you can’t find it anymore. (Here’s the link.) Were you surprised to read that? Why is it now buried, and no one is talking about it anymore?

JP: I personally wrote to Mr. Sherr, offering to point out his glaring errors in judgment. Unsurprisingly, he never responded. The reason is simple—everything is built on a lie. The participation numbers are fabricated, and instead of confronting the truth, they cover one lie with another to make it seem like they’ve "cleared" the issue.

They followed the same playbook with the 32 sexual abuse claims—two of which resulted in $20 million settlements. To control the narrative, they hired a law firm to give them a clean bill of health and fired the head of player development as a scapegoat. Every move is carefully calculated to maintain plausible deniability, allowing them to say anything without accountability.

This level of dishonesty is inexcusable. If a factory worker showed poor judgment, it might be understandable. But for a CEO making $29,000 a week? It’s absolutely unacceptable. That is why I want him out.

RB: I have sometimes compared you to Don Quixote. Where do you get the strength to hang in for so many years and keep fighting the USTA Windmills?

JP: When I became a U.S. citizen in 2000, the judge who swore me in said something that has stayed with me ever since: “When you see us faltering as Americans, when you see our ideals slipping, remember that your country is calling on your strength to make what is wrong right.”

So here I am, honoring that promise. I refuse to stand by while the most beautiful sport in the world is mismanaged for the benefit of a few entrenched ol’ boys—profiteering off the fragmentation and naivety of the tennis community. This isn’t just a failure; it’s a betrayal of the game itself.

Some may see me as a modern Don Quixote, tilting at windmills. But I am simply doing what is right—serving the country that has given me so much. And I will not stop. Not until we have honest, intelligent, and compassionate leaders who see tennis as a tool to strengthen communities, not a personal cash cow to profit from while no one notices. I am in this for the long haul. I will fight until those who claim to serve the sport stop taking from it.

RB: Thank you, Javier.

An avid photographer and a de facto tennis coach, he writes articles often trying to influence the direction of tennis in the USA. His mantra is to make sure tennis is accessible for all who want to play, regardless of income level.

A friend of mine (and RSPA Master Professional) joked about the USTA:
“So, the USTA pays no taxes on $500M+ in revenues and a good portion of US Open ticket sales is subsidized by the taxpayer. Isn’t that almost like we are paying them to pay no taxes so they can pay high six and seven-figure salaries and benefits and first-class travel for a bunch of industry lightweights? The perfect racket. No?”

I’m not sure if he was really joking after 30+ years in the industry…

Oh boy, another unforced error by USTA executives? Many articles started with this headline “Fury as US Open chiefs announce mixed doubles revamp” because the powers to be at the Orlando offices announced a radical overhaul of the US Open’s Mixed Doubles event by…

• Staging the competition as a standalone event in the week before the main men's and women's singles draws get underway.

• The event would take place over two days of competition on August 19-20 at Flushing Meadows.

• The tournament will be made up of 16 teams, with eight teams earning direct entry based on their combined singles ranking playing alongside eight wild-card entrants.

• Each match will be played as best-of-three sets, but sets will be abbreviated to first to four games, with no-advantage scoring, tiebreakers at four-all, and a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set.

• The final will be best-of-three to six games, but also featuring no-advantage scoring, with tiebreaks at six games all and a 10-point match tiebreaker instead of a third set.

So far, I only found one person in favor of this change: Andy Roddick on his short SERVED WITH ANDY RODDICK podcast with guests Stacey Allaster, Eric Butorac, and Jon Wertheim: Is the US OPEN Mixed Doubles Championship Now a MUST-WATCH Event?

What do our readers think? If you want to chime in, we’ll post your comments unedited in April. Email me.

Here’s what I wrote after the new Participation Report was published in July of 2022:

CONTEXT: Every year, the TIA commissions Sports Marketing Surveys USA to create tennis data surveyed from 18,000 individuals during the previous year for the PAC study. I think those terms are all interchangeable and designed to shroud all this in mystery and give it an air of sophistication. I have maintained for years that the study itself is bogus because the numbers are too high and can't be supported by tennis industry trade numbers. However, the USTA pays for it and eats it up because high numbers give the impression they are growing tennis which they haven't for over a decade. When I ask where the ball sales are that support their numbers, crickets. "Ignore the noise."

The fact that no one ever questions or criticizes my reporting shows me I'm right. Here is the summary you need to know: They surveyed 18,000 people for the Pac Study in 2021. That's 1,500 per month. That number has to be divided into all the sports available (30-40?) and then also into gender, location, age, etc. If they surveyed more than 20 tennis players each month I'd be very surprised.

And here comes the kicker: The survey costs $1,500 for non-TIA members. I can't remember the last time I paid that kind of money for something that bogus. Oh, no, I do remember: NEVER!

I’m sticking to my comments from almost 3 years ago. After reading the definition of a Core Player as those playing 10+ times in the past 12 months, here’s what The Commish had to say: “I bet when someone says he’s hitting balls against his garage door every Saturday morning, they count that person as Core Player.”

Well said, my friend!

21st Annual Desert Smash at La Quinta Resort
Tuesday, March 4 during BNP Paribas Open

Get ready for Desert Smash 2025, where legends of tennis, Hollywood, and music converge under the desert sky at La Quinta’s Stadium Court in support of the WTA Foundation. Hosted by P!NK,  guests can enjoy an all-inclusive array of top chef-inspired culinary offerings powered by HexClad as part of the remarkable daytime experience at the 21st Annual Desert Smash.

Herbalife, a global leader in health and wellness, is joining Desert Smash 2025 as our first-ever Official Nutrition Sponsor!

As the Official Nutrition Sponsor of Desert Smash 2025, Herbalife will provide top-tier performance nutrition for attending athletes and guests, ensuring they have the energy, focus, and can recover throughout the event. Their commitment to fueling athletes of all levels aligns perfectly with the spirit of Desert Smash. 

Win 2 VIP spots for Desert Smash, the chance to meet P!NK and test drive Rivian's R1S and R1T during the event

Experience Rivian’s all-electric adventure at Desert Smash. From February 28 to March 4, test drive the R1T and R1S and explore the next generat.ion of performance and sustainability. Reserve your spot today.

Now through Sunday, March 2, Rivian in partnership with Desert Smash is giving you and a guest the opportunity to become a Desert Smash Bash VIP. Win your way into the event of the season + a private meet and greet with with music icon P!NK. Enter the sweepstakes here.

USTA Fellowship Program

The USTA press release read: The USTA today announced the first-ever Racquet Sports Management Apprenticeship (RSMA) program, which will be launched in January 2025 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. The two-year apprenticeship is designed to cultivate up-and-coming tennis coaches aspiring to excel in racquet sports management. Unlike the Professional Tennis Management (PTM) and USTA Fellowship programs, which focus on entering the industry, the RSMA program prepares participants to oversee and lead racquet sports facilities.

My take: If these programs have a good curriculum and they are taught in a professional manner that can be replicated, then it will add value to the sport. But there are many unanswered questions:

• What is the purpose of these programs?

• What problems are they trying to solve?

• How do these programs complement the existing certification and education programs?  

• Or is this another step of taking over certification?

• Are they going to offer a series of training programs for parks and recreation?  

52nd Annual St. Augustine POP Tennis Nationals

Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26, St. Augustine, FL

POP Tennis™ is a sport that everyone of all ages, skills & athletic abilities can play & enjoy. POP can be played year-round, indoors or outdoors on all surfaces.
POP Tennis aka Paddle Tennis is the ORIGINAL Paddle Tennis created in the US in 1898!

POP Tennis guru Mitch Kutner wrote, “All are invited to join us at the 52nd Annual POP Tennis Nationals in St Augustine Beach on Memorial Day weekend. We welcome POP Tennis players of all ages, talents, and levels of play. Spectators welcome. There will also be a few player group socials at night as part of the weekend festivities.” Details

POP Tennis website.

RacquetX

We’re officially only 3 weeks away from opening the doors at the Miami Beach Convention Center! The ultimate racquet sports event is almost here, and we can’t wait to welcome you. If you haven’t secured your ticket yet, NOW is the time. Spots are going fast, and you don’t want to miss out on everything RacquetX has to offer.
The countdown is on. Get your ticket now and be part of it.

Watch the replay of a recent Live Webinar: Webinar - How Racquet Sport Clubs are the “Third Place” We Needed.

Host: Robyn Duda, CEO of RacquetX
Moderator: Simon Gale, Senior Director of Racquet Sports Development at USTA

Featuring:

Jessica Talbert, Co-Founder & CEO at Park Padel
Brad Tuckman, Co-Founder & CEO at The Fort
Patrick Shields, President at Fromuth & Midwest Racquet Sports

Erik Faneker’s newsletter “The Monthly Maestro”

Peter Burwash International Celebrates 50 Years of Excellence in Tennis Management

Peter Burwash International (PBI), a Troon Company, is proud to celebrate its 50th anniversary on February 15, 2025. Since its founding in 1975, PBI has been a trailblazer in the world of tennis, shaping the sport’s global presence and making a profound impact on players of all abilities. 

Over the past five decades, PBI has revolutionized tennis education and accessibility, reaching more than 4 million players across 134 countries. The company has introduced tennis to over a dozen nations for the first time, expanding the sport’s reach and inspiring new generations of athletes. 

Among PBI’s many accomplishments, highlights include: 

• Becoming the largest tennis management company in the world 

• Publishing Tennis For Life, an industry best-seller. 

• Showcasing the renowned PBI Tennis Show in 99 countries. 

• Developing adaptive tennis programs for the deaf, blind, and wheelchair players. 

• Launching rehabilitation-focused tennis programs for prisoners through the “Pro-Cons” initiative, aiding their reintegration into society 

• Providing expert TV commentary through Peter Burwash on ESPN, CBC, and TSN 

• Creating thousands of career opportunities in racquet sports  

“Reaching our 50th anniversary is an incredible milestone,” said Rene Zondag, President of PBI. “What has never changed, and never will, is our unwavering commitment to service, excellence, and making a positive difference in the world through racquet sports.” 

As PBI enters its next chapter, the company remains dedicated to fostering the love of racquet sports worldwide through innovative coaching programs, community outreach, and continued leadership in the industry. 

For more information about PBI’s 50th-anniversary celebrations and its ongoing initiatives, please visit www.pbitennis.com. 

The High School Coaches’ Module in Serve Tennis

Regardless of the present confusion about the future of the USTA’s Serve Tennis platform and the rather doubtful survival of “way over its head” technology vendor ClubSpark, I was made aware that the High School Coaches section is actually pretty useful.

Addressing Coaches, it states, “Hey Coach! The High School Coaches’ Module in Serve Tennis helps make coaching your school tennis team a breeze. Use the module to manage your teams, schedule matches, enter scores right from the courts, and view previous match results and current standings. Plus, you can even run your state tournament in the module— all with ITF World Tennis Number integration!”

Addressing State Staff, it states, “State Athletic Associations and Directors can enjoy free workshops, demos, and full-season support to help with district, region, or state-wide adoption. Explore tennis product incentives designed to fit your needs and simplify coaching with the High School Coaches' Module in Serve Tennis. To get your state involved, email [email protected].”

Here are the listed KEY BENEFITS & FEATURES: 

• FREE and easy setup and management

• User-friendly player registration system, including instant addition of existing players

• Organize and manage teams, with the ability to create dual matches during the regular season

• Track past match results and current standings

• View player and team ITF World Tennis Number ratings

• Utilize USTA's state-of-the-art tournament software for creating and running high school tournaments–currently used by 2,000 tournament directors for 12,000 tournaments! 

The High School Coaches’ Module in Serve Tennis helps make coaching your school tennis team a breeze!

Sad Day for DII Tennis in Colorado
MSU Denver drops Men’s and Women’s Tennis

The announcement came on February 11: “The MSU Denver Athletic Department announced today that it will discontinue its men's and women's tennis programs following the conclusion of the spring season. The decision, made after a thorough evaluation of program sustainability, will allow the department to focus resources on its 14 remaining NCAA Division II varsity sports to ensure their long-term success.”

My questions: Is that a byproduct of the USTA Board denying support of U.S. college players in 2022? See our article of September ‘22 “IS THE USTA THROWING AMERICAN COLLEGE TENNIS PLAYERS UNDER THE BUS?” Do the Athletic Directors know that the USTA wouldn’t fight for tennis in colleges? How about the ITA? Has anybody tried to involve the USTA? I’d be curious what they would say or do to save face. It looks like neither the ITA nor the USTA have  any clout with colleges. 

The Commish messaged me, “It will be interesting to see how the NIL thing and this ruling will affect college tennis.” The Commish was referring to this article: Department of Education rescinds Title IX guidance that NIL payments must be proportionate.

My best guess: The USTA execs say, “Screw college tennis.” Why? Here are three possible reasons:

1. They are bound by the ‘22 Board decision under Hainline’s leadership.

2. There’s no money in it. And EVERYTHING is about money for the USTA.

3. We learned some time ago that the prevailing opinion by USTA Leadership is that college tennis is a waste of time in light of their desperate quest to help PD find the next MALE Grand Slam champion. Why fight for it?

What do our readers think?

DOPING

ITIA: Venezuelan tennis player provisionally suspended under Tennis Anti-Doping Programme
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Gonçalo Oliveira, a 29-year-old Portuguese-born tennis player who currently represents Venezuela, has been provisionally suspended under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).    Read more here

CNN: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner accepts three-month ban from tennis to settle doping case
Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month ban from tennis to settle a case which has lingered over the sport for months after he twice tested positive for a banned substance, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Saturday.
Read more here

Sports Illustrated: Did No. 1 Tennis Star Jannik Sinner Get Away With Doping?
Sinner's settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency leaves a lot to be desired.
Read more here

tennis.com: Jannik Sinner's doping case: A complete timeline of how it unfolded, on and off the court
The reveal only came to light ahead of last year’s US Open, but it was weighing on the Italian's mind for much longer. Read more here

MSPORTS: Doping Ban Consequences: Jannik Sinner’s Sportsman of the Year Laureus Nomination Revoked
In a stunning blow to his illustrious career, world No.1 tennis player Jannik Sinner has seen his nomination for the prestigious Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award revoked. The announcement comes in the wake of Sinner’s three-month professional tennis ban, a penalty which has caused shockwaves in the sporting world. Read more here

CORRUPTION

ITIA: Six tennis players sanctioned for historic corruption offenses
Players suspended for their roles in 2017 and 2018 match-fixing activity
Read more here

ITIA: Thai tennis player provisionally suspended
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirms that Jatuporn Na Lamphun, a tennis player from Thailand, has been provisionally suspended, pending the full consideration of charges under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
Read more here

TRANSGENDER

msn: Transgender Women Barred from Most Domestic Female Tennis Competitions: What This Means for the Sport
Starting January 25, 2025, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) will implement a controversial new policy banning transgender women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth from competing in most domestic female tennis events.
Read more here

Sports Illustrated: Renée Richards Shares Her Position on Gender Policy in Tennis
The groundbreaking tennis player offered her thoughts on transgender participation in the sport last April. Read more here

MISCELLANEOUS

Yardbarker: Wimbledon board member: 'Zero appetite' to expand to 15 days
While three of the four Grand Slam tennis events are operating with the belief that bigger is better in terms of scheduling, Wimbledon won't be adding a 15th day.
Read more here

INTENNSE: The First Preseason Surge is a Wrap!
Team Jacksonville secured a win against Team Tampa in a 90-minute match.
Read the full Recap here

New York Times: The ‘relationship of dependence’ between a barred coach and a Wimbledon champion
Over a tumultuous two days in New York in August, in the lead-up to last year’s U.S. Open, Stefano Vukov tried to convince Elena Rybakina to reunite with him one more time. Told by a member of Rybakina’s team that he had been dismissed as her coach and to leave her alone, Vukov instead walked the lobby and hallways of her Manhattan hotel. He flooded her phone with text messages and more than 100 calls — according to sources with personal and professional relationships with Rybakina who were present at the hotel — as he sought another chance to convince Rybakina that her tennis career could not thrive without him.
Read more here

msn: ‘Fixated’ man banned from tennis events after reducing Emma Raducanu to tears
Tennis authorities have banned a “fixated” man from all future events after a terrified Emma Raducanu was reduced to tears on Tuesday in Dubai. Raducanu, 22, was approached in public on Monday by a man who “exhibited fixated behaviour”, and he was spotted at her match against Karolina Muchova the next day. The Brit pointed him out to the umpire after just two games but was visibly upset, crying and struggling to control her breathing. Read more here

Big Shout-Out to Craig Bell for expressing that Racket Business is “Always a must-read?”

Big Shout-Out to Mark Wylam for celebrating his 500th Coach Placement in February.

Big Shout-Out to Peter Burwash International for celebrating 50 Years of Excellence in Tennis Management.

Big Shout-Out to the PTR for putting on a first-class International Racquets Conference at Saddlebrook Resort.

Big Shout-Out to Jennifer Gelhaus for being recognized as Young Pro of the Year at the PTR International Racquets Conference!

Big Shout-Out to Mark Wylam for doing a super job with SportsProsConnect. (Happy Birthday, Mark)

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