TENNIS – The ITF’s member National Associations joined some of the world’s leading tennis stars in celebrating the second World Tennis Day on Monday 3 March – 2014. World Tennis Day aims to promote tennis and increase participation among players around the globe, with finally 84 nations having taken part.
This year’s World Tennis Day was centred around three special events, organised by the promoter StarGames, in three different time zones in Hong Kong, London and New York. The events featured current and former professionals together with junior and wheelchair demonstrations, including the ITF’s Tennis Play and Stay campaign. Apart from these events all in all 67 countries hosted special events to promote the game of tennis.
Tomas Berdych, Lleyton Hewitt, Li Na and Samantha Stosur were in action in the BNP Paribas Showdown at the Hong Kong Velodrome; Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Pat Cash and Ivan Lendl played the World Tennis Day Showdown at London’s Earls Court; whereas Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Bob and Mike Bryan, and John and Patrick McEnroe took part at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
“The inaugural World Tennis Day proved to be a very successful initiative, using high profile special events to bring attention to the developmental activities of our member nations on every continent,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti expecting that the enthusiasm and commitment of the National Associations to World Tennis Day in its first year so inspiring that an even greater take-up in 2014 and beyond can be expected. (Simone Kemler with ITF-material)