Tennis

The International Tennis Centre in Eastbourne, England, is to undergo a £44m (€57.3m/$64.6m) revamp after the venue secured hosting rights to the Aegon International tournament for the next 10 years.

US sportswear giant Nike has elected to reinstate its endorsement contract with Maria Sharapova as the Russian tennis superstar’s commercial partners reacted to news of her two-year ban from the sport.

Maria Sharapova has today (Wednesday) been handed a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) having failed a doping test at the Australian Open in January, with the Russian superstar set to appeal the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The inaugural edition of the Louisville International Open on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour will be staged in 2017 and not later this year as originally planned.

Current professional player Tommy Haas has been confirmed as the new tournament director of the BNP Paribas Open, the largest WTA and ATP World Tour combined two-week tennis event in the world.

The total prize money awarded by tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments has increased 50 per cent in the five-year period to 2016, from about $100m in 2012 to more than $150m.

Sally Bolton has been appointed to the new role of head of corporate affairs at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and the Wimbledon Championships.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has today added a new tournament in Turkey as part of a continued overhaul of the grass-court season, while the Italian Tennis Federation (FIT) has said it is keen to host a proposed new event that would act as a season-ending competition for male players under the age of 21.

Tennis Australia has appointed Ann West to the newly created executive position of head of integrity and compliance as part of a strategy by the national governing body to boost its efforts to combat corruption in the sport.

The French Tennis Federation’s (FFT) headquarters and the home of its president Jean Gachassin have been raided as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and embezzlement surrounding ticket sales for the French Open and the redevelopment of Roland Garros, the home of the grand slam tournament.

What can the sports industry learn from the Maria Sharapova crisis and others like it? Ben Cronin spoke to four experts in media and crisis management to provide a set of guidelines for organisations and individuals dealing with a negative news story.

The All England Club, organiser of the Wimbledon Championships, has revealed that total prize money for this year’s tournament will increase to £28.1m (€36.3m/$41m), in a move that continues an ongoing upward financial trend across the four grand slam tennis events.

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has confirmed that its Taiwan Open event will be staged in the East Asian country’s capital of Taipei from next year, with organisers hoping the move will lead to increased investment from the local government and sponsors.

Croatian umpire Denis Pitner, who officiated at the 2015 U.S. Open while serving a 12-month suspension, has been handed a 10-year ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has announced a 14 per cent rise in prize money for the 2016 French Open, continuing the ongoing financial trend between the hosts of the four grand slam events.

The InfrontRingier Sports & Entertainment and Octagon agencies have joined forces to organise a new Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event in Switzerland.