Tennis

Latest Features

The legends of Li Na, Kim Yuna and Lee Chong Wei have all retired and their absences leave gaping holes in their sports back home, one that sponsors and associations are keen to fill as quickly as possible. 

The first incarnation of the revamped Davis Cup finals is just two months away and Gerard Piqué, the president and founder of sports and media investment group Kosmos Holding, remains bullish that his plans to revive the historic men's team tennis tournament will prove a huge success. Story by Bob Williams.

The All England Club has expanded its hospitality offering and introduced a more flexible approach to attract smaller bookings and target high-net-worth individuals. Ben Cronin speaks to James Ralley, AELTC head of marketing and commercial, about the changes.

The decision by the ATP Council not to renew Chris Kermode's contract as ATP executive chairman and president caused surprise when it was announced in March. Ben Cronin speaks to the outgoing tennis chief about his record.

Richard Heaselgrave, Tennis Australia's chief revenue officer, tells Adam Nelson how pivoting the first grand slam of the tennis season away from tennis has helped the event to grow dramatically over the past five years.

The Association of Tennis Professionals and Women's Tennis Association have suspended all tournaments through at least June 7, and frozen their rankings “until further notice," because of the global Co…

The French Open tennis grand slam has been moved back to September and October due to the global Covid-19 pandemic

Tennis star Roger Federer has reclaimed the the rights to use the famous ‘RF’ marque from his former kit supplier, Nike, two years after he split from the company.

The Miami Open has become the latest professional tennis event to be called off following the global coronavirus outbreak

Features

Investment company looks to transform historic event after 25-year partnership with ITF Rakuten owner will provide financial backing and help create new app to engage fans

In this week's China sports industry round-up: Formula E to stage race in Sanya | Alibaba and Tencent invest in City Football Group stakeholders | Tencent extends Tour de France digital rights

Wimbledon's long-term commercial strategy is driven by an increased focus on projecting itself as a global brand and protecting its standing as a premium sports property. Ben Cronin speaks to Mick Desmond, commercial and media director for the All England Club (AELTC) and James Ralley, head of marketing, commercial and hospitality about how this strategy boosts the value of its media rights.

Wimbledon’s long-term commercial strategy is driven by an increased focus on projecting itself as a global brand and protecting its standing as a premium sports property. In part three, Ben Cronin speaks to Alexandra Willis, head of communications, content & digital to investigate the grand slam's more permissive approach to activation online.

Wimbledon’s long-term commercial strategy is driven by an increased focus on projecting itself as a global brand and protecting its standing as a premium sports property. In part two of a series on the tournament, Ben Cronin asks Mick Desmond, head of commercial and media for the All England Club and James Ralley, head of commercial and marketing, why the grand slam deliberately limits the number of its sponsors

Danny Zausner, managing director of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, tells SportBusiness why the Flushing Meadows campus was redesigned and how the new Louis Armstrong Stadium will be monetized.

In this week's China sports industry round-up: Wigan set for Chinese takeover; Chinese-owned Wolves strike Adidas deal; and CSL first to join Twitter

The ITF has struck a 25-year, $3bn partnership with the Kosmos investment group to replace the Davis Cup with a season-ending, one-week World Cup of Tennis. ITF president David Haggerty and chief operating officer Kelly Fairweather spoke to Ben Cronin about the changes at the recent SportAccord.

The grand slam is marking its 50th anniversary with the opening of the new 14,000-capacity Louis Armstrong Stadium, complete with retractable roof. Katrina Adams, the president of the United States Tennis Association, spoke to Bob Williams at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference to discuss the business and commercial opportunities of the redeveloped arena.

In this issue we cover the following: WINTER OLYMPICS – a commercial preview of Pyeongchang 2018 RULE 40 – how the IOC's control over athlete sponsorships is weakening GIANN

In this week's China sports industry round-up: CSL extends media rights deal with CSM; Sina partners with Mediapro to promote 3x3; and NBA plans month-long Chinese New Year celebration.

In this week's China sports industry round-up: WTA Finals will move to Shenzhen; China Open becomes second £1m snooker event; and more details about Wanda's IPO.

After authorities finally gave the green light to the redevelopment of Roland-Garros - following years of false starts - SportBusiness International examines the plan to add breathing space to the cluttered venue.

In this issue we cover the following: QATAR CRISIS – BeIN hits out at 'scaremongering' VIRTUAL REALITY – Is the much hyped technology finally ready to make a difference? SPORTS

China’s sports industry is booming and western rights-holders want a piece of the action. John Reynolds looks at the digital strategies employed by major rights holders.

From perfect strawberries to ultra-efficient queues, Dominic Bliss discovers why the All England Club is still the cream when it comes to entertaining thousands of tennis fans at Wimbledon each year.

BeIN Media Group, the Qatari broadcaster, has hit out angrily at media reports suggesting beIN Sports channels are being blacked out in the Middle East and North Africa as a consequence of the Saudi Arabia-led economic blockade of Qatar. Frank Dunne and Robin Jellis report. 

In this week's China sports industry round-up: Hisense joins the Fifa roster; Zhang faces fresh hurdle in AFC race; Suning close to Bundesliga rights; and more.

In this week's China sports industry round-up: Nike gets ticked off for inaccurate marketing; government officials call out overseas football investments; Asian Tour excited about CGA partnership; and more.