TENNIS – On Wednesday the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was visited by Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA, who found her way to Stuttgart once again this year. Porsche Tennis Grand Prix media spoke to the Canadian about women’s tennis today and in the future, WTA’s responsibility towards the players and the importance of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for the WTA. From Stuttgart, Simone Kemler
Ms Allaster, the Board of Directors are accompanying you to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. What’s the importance of the tournament for the WTA?
“The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is very important to the WTA. Each year the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix event exhibits the vision of the WTA “to be the most inspirational and exciting sport entertainment experience on earth”. I’ve been fortunate to attend the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix a number of times over the years, and I think it sets an extremely high standard. Furthermore, and most importantly, this is a tournament the athletes love to play. The tournament’s honor roll features many of the sport’s legends – and they’ve come back year after year. It has always been a pleasure to attend the tournament.”
The WTA represents over 2,500 players from 92 nations. How important is player welfare for you and where in particular do you see the WTA’s responsibility as being?
“The health and welfare of our athletes is our number one priority. We have a world class Sports Science and Medicine team that focuses on prevention, triage and rehabilitation in and out of competition. Our Director of Athlete Assistance travels to support the athletes, their coaches and parents. And we have a dedicated team that focuses on professional development programs. These programs include: (i) WTA Rookies that provides services and professional advice to help young players transition from the juniors to professional tennis; and (ii) WTA Transitions that provides professional development for those athletes who are nearing the end of their on-court careers. The type of programs offered include university undergraduate and masters degrees, coaching certification, public speaking, real estate, financial management and media training.”
Women’s tennis has developed rapidly in the past years. What in your opinion were the pivotal strategic changes?
“The introduction of Roadmap circuit reform in 2007 was a pivotal moment for the WTA. Our vision was to build a tournament structure that increased the participation rates of the WTA’s top players, while elongating the off-season in order to help cut down on injuries and prolong careers. As of February, we have 15 players aged 30 or older in the Top 100, including our World No.1 Serena Williams, who is still reigning supreme and breaking records at 32-years old.”
Where does women’s tennis stand in 2014 and what are your plans for the near future?
“With the tennis markets in Europe and the Americas at a mature stage, it was important to seek to establish women’s tennis in emerging markets, such as China, South East Asia and Brazil. In 2008, in conjunction with the WTA’s 35th anniversary, we opened an office in Beijing, China and upgraded the China Open to a Premier Mandatory event. This year our players could compete in a two-week swing in Brazil, with a tournament in Rio de Janeiro joining the Florianopolis event, which made its debut on the calendar in 2013. We’ll have a record number of tournaments in the Asia-Pacific region in 2014, culminating in our crown jewel event – the season-ending WTA Championships – to be hosted in Singapore for the next five years.”
The expansion in recent years has come above all in Asia. Is the rest of the world maybe getting a bit of raw deal?
“Europe and the Americas have been great success stories for women’s tennis. Tennis is very popular there and many of our players come from Europe. It’s exciting to note how global tennis has become and that’s why we’re also identifying growth opportunities for women’s tennis in emerging markets. But don’t worry Europe continues to host 23 tournaments – more than any other region on the 2014 WTA calendar. And when you include Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Europe continues to be a key foundation of the WTA’s global calendar. Additionally, with an extra week between Roland Garros and Wimbledon confirmed for 2015, tennis fans can look forward to an extended European grass court swing.”
Two players in particular are presently inspiring fans all over the world: Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. How important are such superstars for women’s tennis and who do you feel can follow in their footsteps?
“There’s no doubt that players such as Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Li Na are global superstars of our sport. They not only continue to inspire us all with their on-court performance, but they transcend the sport: whether it is building schools in Africa like Serena has done; becoming the CEO of a multi-million dollar, international company like Maria has done; or being named as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people as Li Na has been. These players are standing on the shoulders of the women who came before them and living the dream that resulted in the formation of the WTA.”
Who can replace the superstars in the future?
“As for the future, it’s looking bright. We have 10 different nations represented in our Top 10, and a host of young players rising through the ranks and looking to make their mark on the sport. Keep an eye on players such as Eugenie Bouchard (Canada), Madison Keys (USA), Garbine Muguruza (Spain), Laura Robson (UK), Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) and Elina Svitolina (Ukraine), along with Germany’s own Annika Beck, who just turned 20 and already has a career-high of No. 46 in the world.”
What do you think about the rise of women’s tennis in Germany and just how far do you feel the top German players can go?
“I think German tennis fans should be immensely proud of the women representing them on the WTA. Outside of the US, Germany has more players ranked in the Top 100 than any other nation. To have seven women ranked inside the Top 100 (as of February) is a fantastic achievement in a global sport such as tennis. Angelique Kerber has become a fixture in the Top 10; we saw Sabine Lisicki reach her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last year; and Andrea Petkovic and Julia Görges have broken into the Top 10 and Top 15 respectively over the last few years. These players not only compete hard, but are some of the most popular players on tour too. It is wonderful to see the camaraderie the German girls share, the encouragement and support they give each other, and I think the sky is the limit for what they could achieve in the future.”
Back to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Why do you believe the players have voted it so often as their favourite tournament?
“The WTA has 22 premier tournaments and to be named the players’ favourite Premier-level tournament five times is a credit to Porsche, Markus and Anke’s leadership. Like the Porsche brand, Markus and Anke are committed each year to providing the athletes with a world class experience that ultimately enhances their performance. Each year the Tournament Directors and Operating Tournament Director are focused on the fine details that make such a difference and they are always asking themselves, despite the high standards, how they can evolve and improve the players’ experience for next year.”
What makes the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix different to other tournaments?
“Many tournaments provide all the important services for the athletes yet what makes the difference is the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix’s commitment to precision in all of these key areas. Along with world class services, each year the tournament staff rolls out the “911” red carpet for all the athletes and their guests. There are never any problems for the tournament team, just solutions to help the athletes, and it is the passion of the fans that really shines through and lifts this event to a high performance level.” (Porsche Tennis Grand Prix)
