Who Is Andrea Gaudenzi? Five Things To Know About The New Chief Of Men’s Tennis

On Thursday it was announced that a 48-year-old Italian will be taking over from Chris Kermode as the Chairman on the ATP. Andrea Gaudenzi was confirmed for the position following numerous rumours that circulated in the media before an official announcement.

Backed for the role by the ATP Board, Gaudenzi is a familiar figure in the sport for many. But how much do tennis fans around the world know about him?

Here are five facts about the man set to become one of the most powerful figures in tennis.

1. He is a former player

Gaudenzi is best known as a former tennis player who reached a ranking high of 18th in 1995. During his professional career he won three titles on the ATP Tour – one in 1998 (Casablanca) and two in 2001 (Bastad and St. Polten). All three of his triumphs occurred on the clay. During his career has achieved 12 wins over top 10 players, including Alex Corretja, Thomas Enqvist and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. However, Gaudenzi had less success in the grand slams with only one appearance in the fourth round of a major at the 1994 French Open.

He retired from tennis in 2003 with a win-loss record of 219-132 on the ATP Tour and prize money earnings of $3,063,479.

2. There was one player he found tough to play

In an interview with Startup Italia earlier this year, Gaudenzi named Andre Agassi as the toughest player he has ever faced on the court. The two clashed five times between 1994-1998. Only in two of those matches Gaudenzi was able to take a set off the American. Their meetings took place on the ATP Tour, grand slam tournaments, Davis Cup and 1996 Olympic Games.

“Agassi had periods in which he was impossible to play as he was good, and others in which he could lose to anyone. I had the misfortune of finding myself in front of him 4 times, and always when he was number one in the rankings. I had the impression of playing against a steamroller, he was playing ping pong and I was running behind.”

head-to-head

3. He has a law degree and an MBA

As well as an athlete, the Italian also gained a solid education. In 2001 he graduated from the University of Bologna with a degree in law. His thesis was ‘Commercial Law: The Sponsorship Contract.’ Three years later he obtained an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Monaco.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Gaudenzi can speak Italian, Spanish, English and French.

4. A veteran businessman

Apart from serving on the ATP Board of Directors since January 2017, Gaudenzi has been involved in various businesses over the past two decades. At present he is on the board of directors for Musixmatch. A music data company founded in 2010 that claims to have 50 million active users, according to their website. He has also previously been a regional director for the Bwin Group (2010-2011) and co-founded pre-paid company card business Soldo.

“I strongly believe that a guy who has played sports at a competitive level, not necessarily as a professional, has something extra. Sport educates to discipline, to sacrifice and to achieve goals: useful qualities also in the business world.” – Gaudenzi during an interview with Startup Italia.

5. Djokovic has given his blessing

In a press release issued by the ATP earlier this week, world No.1 Novak Djokovic said Gaudenzi had the ‘qualities’ to lead the tour. Djokovic is currently the president of the influential players council and will be a key figure in any future changes that could occur.

‘On behalf of the players, I’d like to welcome Andrea as the next Chairman of the ATP.” Said Djokovic.
‘As a former player, he has walked in our shoes, and has also become a successful entrepreneur following his playing career.
‘He has all the qualities to lead the Tour and we look forward to working together for the benefit of the players and the sport more generally.’

Gaudenzi will begin his four-year term on January 1st 2020.