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USTA Announces Next Phase of Support for Tennis Industry

Apr 16, 2020 | article export, Features, News, Trending, US Open 2020, USTA

National Governing Body Will Provide Comprehensive Program of Financial, Educational and Other Resources to Help Tennis Industry Weather the COVID-19 Pandemic

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 16, 2020 – The USTA today announced a comprehensive suite of programs to support the tennis industry, which is battling the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This announcement is the second phase of ongoing efforts that the USTA is developing in concert with the American tennis industry.  The overarching goal of these efforts is to provide immediate relief, spur the industry’s recovery, and help the industry rebuild when the crisis passes.

On March 23, the USTA announced the creation of Tennis Industry United, a collaboration of the USTA, TIA, USPTA, PTR, ITA, major endemic media partners and others, that is assessing overall industry needs and making recommendations for those industry sectors that need immediate relief. The initial goal of the first phase was to provide help for the front lines of the sport including tennis facilities, tennis professionals, grassroots tennis programs and the hundreds of tournaments, college and high school matches, and league matches cancelled or suspended since the onset of the pandemic.  On March 26, through the collaborative efforts of the Tennis Industry United partnership group, the USTA published the industry resource guide at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com. This resource guide is continually updated to provide the most current information regarding governmental assistance and other resources available to those in the industry.

“We recognized helping tennis facilities, community tennis programs, and teaching professionals navigate the multitude of government grants and loans was of immediate importance,” said Mike Dowse, CEO and Executive Director of the USTA.  “The foundation of our sport begins with these stakeholders and we need to ensure they can weather the storm and remain viable as the storm recedes.  This is all about ‘relief, recovery and rebuild’ for our industry.”

For the second phase of support, the USTA, along with its partners, will begin offering specific economic assistance packages, increased support to navigate government assistance for facilities and coaches, access to industry leaders, daily educational webinars and in-the-moment phone support to help individuals emotionally impacted from COVID-19.   The extent of this future support will be determined by the financial performance of the 2020 US Open and the impact that the current pandemic has on the event.  The USTA’s plans to stage the tournament remain ongoing, and all decisions regarding the US Open will be guided by federal and local governmental agencies and the health and safety of the players, fans, partners, and the broader tennis community.

Nevertheless, the USTA is taking immediate actions to cut costs for the eventual deployment of financial resources to support the tennis industry in the U.S.  Immediate first steps include identifying more than $20 million in savings by instituting salary reductions of USTA management, eliminating programs in marketing, Player Development and operations, and deferring all non-essential capital projects.

The following outlines a summary of the support and assistance currently provided or now in development to assist the U.S. tennis industry:

  • USTA Facility Grants:  USTA facility grants are being developed to support facilities in need of financial support to reopen.  This funding, expected to reach more than $5 million in total, will come from both USTA National and the USTA Sectional offices. Funding criteria, award levels, and the application process are being finalized and will be available on or before May 1.
  • Certified Tennis Professional Membership Grants: The USTA is working with the USPTA and PTR to ensure that certified tennis professionals are able to renew their annual membership dues moving into 2021.  This will allow these critical tennis providers to maintain their liability insurance, be Safe Play compliant, and continue to have access to educational opportunities. The organizations will be collaborating on this plan over the coming weeks. Grants are expected to exceed $2.5 million.
  • The USTA Foundation will provide $5 million in operating grants to grassroots tennis and education organizations supporting underserved communities through the National Junior Tennis and Learning network.
  • Access to legal expertise with links to identify and claim government support through the CARES Act at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
  • The hosting of all tennis offerings from key organizations within the tennis industry on one central site to enable ease of access of key offerings available at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
  • FREE access to online continuing professional development for facility owners and managers and tennis professionals at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
  • FREE phone support to help the tennis industry cope with the emotional impact of COVID-19 through the USTA’s health provider, Aetna.  Those needing to utilize this service can call 1-833-327-AETNA and reference the USTA.
  • A dedicated email address, [email protected], has been created for those in the industry to submit specific queries regarding available COVID-19 support.
  • Daily updates and guidance by leading experts will be made available on http://www.tennisindustryunited.com that will give specific information about key steps to take to navigate the pandemic.
  • The USTA will provide a free website builder tool with marketing and content resources that allows turnkey solutions for communication tools for facilities and pros.
  • The USTA National office has recommitted as its top priority the continuation of the “grow the game” funding commitments of $35 million to community tennis programming in 2020 and 2021.  These funds are distributed through the 17 USTA Sections to get the money closer to grassroots decision-makers and fund grassroots tennis programs at parks, schools, NJTLs, and a variety of other local efforts.  Tennis providers are encouraged to connect with their local USTA offices to explore Section, District and State offerings.

The above equates to a commitment of more than $50 million in spending towards grassroots tennis and will engage the entire U.S. tennis ecosystem.

“With phase one and phase two, the priority has been to start the process of ensuring that the foundation of our sport remains in place and is viable in the future,” added Dowse.  “We now quickly are taking a look at the broader tennis ecosystem and are working with our colleagues within the Grand Slams, the ITF, the ATP and the WTA Tour to determine how to provide help for lower-ranked professional tennis players who are facing tournament cancellations and financial hardship.”

In the coming weeks, the USTA and its industry partners, will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. tennis marketplace.  Moving forward, the USTA will continue to aggregate all industry resources to aid in recovery while collaborating with all industry partners to develop and deliver programs to help rebuild tennis in the United States.

Can the US Open Save the 2020 Tennis Season?

Apr 15, 2020 | article export, Charles Blouin-Gascon, Features, Novak Djokovic, Steve Furgal, Trending

One by one, they’ve all been falling down like flies.

When the world pandemic of Covid-19 first started messing with our tennis schedule, it first did so by attacking and overwhelming the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open—two of the biggest “kind of a big deal” events on the tennis calendar, but not the single two biggest events in the world. There was still hope then, is what we’re getting at.

But then, the actual biggest events in the world started getting postponed or cancelled. So far we’ve had the French Open organizers decided that they would reschedule their event to September in a classic case of selling off the bear’s skin before having killed it (and in what’s looking increasingly like a superfluous move), but also and perhaps most importantly the beloved Wimbledon decided that the 2020 edition would be cancelled.

Next came the cancellation of the Montreal Rogers Cup, bringing us to mid August now. The question on everyone’s mind would be whether the next domino to fall would be the biggest one, the massive pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow that is the tennis season, the US Open in Flushing Meadows.

As things stand right now at the time of this writing, the biggest party of the tennis season is still slated to be played in late August. Which is to say that as of this writing, the US Open is still slated to save the tennis season—and Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours is there to help you save it along with it.

You see, the travel agency is an official US Open and United States Tennis Association partner. As they write it on their website, “pick your hotel, choose your level of seating and let us take care of the rest.”

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Here’s the part where you counter with something like, “Well you know it’s great that they want to take care of the rest, but what kind of rest will there even be in the time of Covid-19?” On the one hand, we entirely agree: if and unless things change drastically, there will be no tennis played this summer—in New York or elsewhere—so in this case, don’t bother planning a trip to the Big Apple to watch the best tennis players in the world.

But we’re here to talk to you about what’s on the other hand, the scenario where things do improve and an event like the 2020 US Open does happen. Just imagine how big the biggest party in tennis would be after all this time off. If that’s what happens, then Steve Furgal is the place for you; if you want to turn your Flushing Meadows experience into a fairytale, look no further.

This comes in the form of first-week packages or second-week packages, each coming with four sessions of tennis and their choice of four- or five-star hotels. Diehards of the sport will also likely see the VIP Experiences or Labour-Day packages as appealing options. (Natives of New York actually have the option of Loge + Hospitality, which is not too shabby.)

One thing to note: no matter which option you pick for your stay, you’re in for a treat, a raucous atmosphere and, most importantly, likely to see the great Novak Djokovic emerge victorious.

That’s a promise.

 

What is a Pro Stock Tennis Racquet?

Apr 15, 2020 | article export, Features, News, Pro Stock Tennis Racquets, Trending

Did you know that your favourite player’s shiny new tennis racquet is not the same racket they use on tour? I will give a brief look at what a Pro Stock racquet is in this article.

The word Pro Stock is the exact sound of that. A tennis racquet specially created for a professional player. Judy, senior manager at TrumpLearning which provides the best mcat prep course says, Most of the popular tennis racquet brands such as Head, Wilson, Dunlop and others manufacture tennis racquets for their endorsed players only. The top players will take delivery of a new batch of racquets built just for them every 3 or 4 months.

Pro Stock racquets typically weigh more than their retail equivalent, plus the strength, swing weight, rigidity and string pattern are tailored to the particular pro specifications in question. The exact sound of that is the word Pro Stock. A tennis racquet customized to a professional player.

Most of the famous tennis racquet brands including Head, Wilson, Dunlop and others only produce tennis racquets for their players who are endorsed. The top players will take delivery every 3 or 4 months of a new batch of racquets made only for them.

Nick, who offers to do my accounting homework services with TAE says,  Usually, Pro Stock racquets weigh more than their retail counterpart, plus the strength, swing weight, stiffness, and string pattern are customised to the particular pro requirements concerned.

How Are Pro Stock Racquets Made?

They’re made just like every other racquet store. The difference is the mould that is being used, and what leaves the plant.

Most Pro Stock frames are built on moulds of old retail racquets which have been discontinued for a long time. An example of this is Novak Djokovic who uses a racquet made from the mould for the Head iRadical / Ti. Radical MP released in the early 2000s.

This varies significantly from the Head Speed X Limited Edition MP which he endorses. Its weight and rigidity are different, but even the head size on the Speed X is much smaller at 95 square inches compared to the 100 square inches.

That’s one of the more severe examples, but it highlights how different the racquet that a pro wields from the one that the public would buy.

Often, Pro Stock racquets are made in a bare-bones fashion where they appear to be lighter and not the finished item so no grip pallet, nothing in the cavity of the handle etc. Sometimes this is known in the industry as the ‘hairpin’ and the closest example is that of a blank canvas.

Lucky, an expert from whom students approach to write my essay for me says ,Once the grommet holes are drilled, and the racquet painted to the current design, they are sent to the house of choice for the racquet customisation of the player. This can be done either by the manufacturer in their own department of customisation, or by a third party.

That is where the guys like Priority 1 come in because they fit the racquets, add weight, mould the grips, insert silicon in the handles, etc. to create the finished product according to the player’s exact specification. That racquets in an uncustomized state leave the mould sheds some light on why pro racquets seem to give more feeling than retail counterparts.

Kelly who works with TFTH and provides services like assignment help sydney says, Mass-produced racquets leave the mould at their finished size, and they get additional carbon layers applied in certain areas and weight in the handle to meet the specified weight on the spec sheet. Nevertheless, pro stock racquets often leave the mould at about 300 gm and are beefed up by the racquet technician with lead and silicon.

Why Do Manufacturers Produce Pro Stock Racquets?

The explanation why there are Pro Stock racquets is because of the needs of their sponsored players. Most professional players have come through the junior ranks playing with a different tennis racquet model and are very particular about their equipment.

When they land on tour and taste success, the racquet becomes a trusted arm extension to which they are very attached. The question, however, is that to remain in business, racquet manufacturers need to launch new racquets each year.

New paint jobs and moulds are developed annually to enable clients to upgrade to the latest ‘technology’ to get the best tennis racquet available at the moment. However, no professional player willing to change racquets issues them at the same rate as manufacturers.

Adapting to a new racquet will take years and if the new frame specs aren’t near the old one anywhere, it just won’t work. Nick, who offers research paper writing service says, For this purpose, manufacturers must keep old (or custom) moulds in use to ensure that their brand ambassadors will continue to play with the racquet they have always used.

Federer is yet another prime example; from the early 2000s right up to 2013, he used the Pro Staff 90. It took some mixed results for him to make the move, an accident and Stefan Edberg.

Are Pro Stock Racquets Better than Retail Racquets?

One of the common misconceptions you see from players who have just found out about Pro Stock frames in the tennis forums is that these racquets have to be far better than retail versions.

And they aren’t. Pro Stock frames are made of the same material, from which all the high-end tennis racquets are made. There is no secret sauce or advanced technology; it’s just racquets constructed from older retail pieces. Of course,assuming that more labour-time and attention to detail would go into a Pro Stock frame than a retail frame is not a stretch. But this again does not automatically mean that they are stronger.

Even though the quality control may be slightly higher when it leaves the mould, for a specific player a pro stock racquet has been customised. And unless you’re playing an exact or very similar game to the respective player, it won’t be the right tennis racquet for you. It may bear the price tag to make you believe it will be a game-changer, but it will perform no better than hundreds of other readily available versions elsewhere.

A Closer Look at a Pro Stock Racquet

We may take a look at a Pro Stock racquet thanks to fellow tennis fan Nico B, as he is the proud owner of a frame used by Grigor Dimitrov.

The Bulgarian is a player sponsored by Wilson and has endorsed the Wilson Pro Staff 97S for a few seasons  as remarked by John, working with EduWorldUSA.. Although his racquet wore the 97S colour, however, it was drastically different from the retail model it was impersonating. This Pro Stock model is a 93? frame and has never been available for retail. Not all professional players use racquets, which were published 20 years ago.