Racket Sports Industry News - March 2025

• Beyond The Baselines - Understanding Financial Losses In Club Management
  Perhaps one of the most difficult realities in club management to accept is that club departments run at a loss. Read article here
  

• Racquet Sports Industry Magazine - USTA EXPANDS INDUSTRY COLLABORATION BY ADDING FOUR NEW PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO THE USTA CONNECT PLATFORM 
  Clubcloud, Tennis Circuits, Tennis Express and UTR Sports Join the Innovative Program Designed to Connect the Tennis Ecosystem
  Read release here
  

• tennisuptodate - "I think it has to be more of a show" - French tennis star Corentin Moutet on potential changes to make tennis more fan-friendly
  With several changes coming at the 2025 US Open, tennis fans can expect more modifications to the sport they love. French player Corentin Moutet believes some of these proposed changes could benefit fans and make the game more interesting. Read article here
  

• BNP Paribas Open Press Release - BNP Paribas Open Announces Action-Packed Calendar of Live Entertainment And On-Site Fan Events For 2025
  Family Day To Return March 1 As Free Kickoff Event; Daily Lineup of Live Music Announced, Headlined by John McEnroe’s “Johnny Smyth” Band.

  BNP Press Release.pdf212.26 KB • PDF File Download

  
  

• Desert Sun - 2025 BNP Paribas Open tennis at Indian Wells: Tickets, parking, food, schedule and more
  Everything you need to know about the iconic Indian Wells tennis tournament ahead of the 2025 event.
  

• BNP Paribas Open - BNP Paribas Open Releases 2025 Domestic Broadcast Schedule
  Tennis Channel to Provide Exclusive First-Ball to Last-Ball Coverage From Indian Wells With Close to 120 Total Hours of Live Coverage From Tennis Paradise

  BNP Domestic Broadcast Schedule.pdf160.38 KB • PDF File Download

  
  

• HEAD Press Release - HEAD USA INC. AND HEAD CANADA INC. RACQUET SPORTS ANNOUNCEMENT
  HEAD USA Inc. and HEAD Canada Inc. today announced a leadership transition within their Racquet Sports division. Kevin Kempin, the longtime CEO/President of HEAD North America, will retire effective July 1, 2025, marking 32 years of dedicated service to the company.

• Cliff Drysdale Tennis - Cliff Drysdale Management Selected to Manage Operations at The Bailiwick Club 

  Cliff Drysdale Management, the leader in providing racquet sports, club and hospitality management, has been selected to manage racquet, swim and club operations at The Bailiwick Club, a member-owned private club in Greenwich, Connecticut.  Read more here
  

• tennishead - Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS): Revolutionizing the game
  Innovative league reshapes tennis with dynamic events and global expansion. The reactions and feedback for UTS are mixed.
  Read article here
  

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Dave Miley reports from his presentation at Tennis for Life in Kazakhstan

I was honored to be invited to attend and speak about the Tennis For Life by Lexus program at the annual meeting of the Toyota and Lexus dealers that took place in Almaty.

Aigerim from Lexus and I had the chance to explain the Tennis for Life program to the dealers. We finished with two short videos showcasing the success of the project and the young Kazakh players having success at the highest level of international junior tennis. This was followed by 20+ kids entering the court, playing tennis and then hitting balls autographed by our Davis and BJK cup players into the audience.
 
KTF and Lexus have a lot in common. We both know that our customers have different needs and lifestyles, and that we need to adapt our products to the customer. The salespeople of cars and tennis need to believe in their products and that their product is better than other cars and sports on offer. I believe that tennis is the best sport. At the conference, there was a lot of emphasis on customer service and delivering a great experience to each customer. The slogan in selling Lexus and Toyota cars is “Experience Amazing” and of course this could very easily apply to tennis. Tennis players coming to tennis should experience amazing from the start.

As I listened to the various presentations emphasizing these important principles, I was reminded of the very successful Tennis Play and Stay Campaign. The key message of the campaign was “Tennis is Easy, Fun and Healthy” and the slogan supporting the campaign was the catchy “Serve Rally and Score”. Like Lexus, we focused a lot on providing a great first experience for the tennis customer by using the slower balls and learning in an active and dynamic way.

Another key message of the campaign was that Tennis is Healthy, and the research conducted in 2006 with recreational players that led to an article being published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that I co-authored.
 
The campaign had global support, which was best illustrated by the fantastic support of the top players. The ambassadors of the Tennis For Life project are Lena Rybakina and Alexandr Bublik.
 
Thanks again to the Lexus CEO John Thomson for the invitation to present.
 
Tennis for Life by Lexus…..Experience Amazing!

Dave was the person behind the ITF Tennis Play and Stay Campaign and the rule change for Ten and Under Tennis, approved in 2010. 

He has also authored seven coaching books. During his time at the ITF, he has traveled to over 140 nations and there are few people that know world tennis as well as him.

Today, Dave works as the Tennis Director for the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (see photo below). He also regularly presents at coaching conferences, like the Australian Open Conference in Melbourne and the PTR conference in Hilton Head.

The Miami Open presented by Itaú has announced a robust lineup of new and returning food and beverage partners for the upcoming 2025 tournament. These partners will offer a diverse array of culinary delights to elevate the fan experience at the tournament, set to take place from March 16-30.

Fans attending the event will have the opportunity to enjoy an assortment of high-quality dining options throughout the campus, ranging from gourmet meals to quick grab-and-go snacks. For tickets to indulge in world-class tennis and the unparalleled food and beverage experience, visit www.miamiopen.com.

Read full article here

This initiative represents an unprecedented investment in regional communities, ensuring tennis not only continues to thrive but also provides more opportunities for people to play, coach, and connect through the sport.
Read more here

PlaySight is excited to have announced several new racquet club partnerships this week, including the following:

• Bergen County Pickleball Club, home to one of the most dynamic and fast-growing pickleball communities in New Jersey, is now powered by PlaySight!

• Providence Tennis Academy—a premier training ground for aspiring players—is now powered by PlaySight’s SmartCourt technology across 10 courts!

• Now integrating our cutting-edge AI video and coaching technology, High Padel Club in Mexico is elevating the game with match recording, livestreaming, and top-tier coaching tools.
  

• PlaySight also went global this week, partnering with its first Pickleball + Padel club in India - Shaishya Pulse Arena

For more info on PlaySight's AI video tech - click here