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Israel Tennis & Education Centers Raises Funds For Bomb Shelters, Children’s Services

November 21, 2023 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

Hundreds of New Yorkers affirmed their support for Israel on Tuesday November 14th at the Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC) event at Lavan, honoring philanthropist and legendary shoe designer Stuart Weitzman.

Stuart Weitzman made a transformative contribution to new children’s tennis and sports facilities this year. Weitzman’s gift will support two projects at Centers in Israel – one in the heart of Jerusalem, at the Ben B. & Joyce E. Eisenberg Israel Tennis & Education Center, and the other in Ramat Hasharon, at the Larry Greenspon ITEC Ramat Hasharon Center. As part of the evening’s events, Weitzman cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of the Stuart Weitzman Tennis Complex in Jerusalem.

“If we want to live together peacefully, we have to start playing together peacefully,” said Weitzman in his remarks to the 300 attendees, joined by his wife and two daughters. “Sometimes, children have to lead the way.”

“Through our work, we’ve been able to help our children begin to heal their wounds and give them moments of joy, of normalcy and security,” said Wendy Slavin, president of the ITEC North American Board. “That’s what this night is about. About Israel, about unity, hope, children and about joy.”

One of Israel’s largest social service organizations, ITEC has launched several critical initiatives to help thousands of children and their families cope and feel safer after the horrific attacks on October 7th. With nearly 50 years of history in social services and deeply rooted throughout Israel, ITEC was able to react with immediacy and pivot from tennis centers to community centers, offering our children mental health counseling, food, shelter, and moments of joy during these unimaginable times.

Many of its staff have grown up in the ITEC community. Two of the event’s speakers, Beer-Sheva Center Manager Yaniv Sakira and Yoni Yair, Senior Vice President of Development shared their experiences with ITEC as their home away from home and shared heartbreaking personal stories. The evening concluded with a highly successful auction to equip Centers with bomb shelters, emergency vehicles and mental health support.

About Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC)

Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC) empowers children and transforms lives by providing opportunities to support any Israeli child regardless of geography, religion, ethnicity, physical ability, or socioeconomic status. Since opening its first center in Ramat Hasharon in 1976, ITEC has helped over 500,000 children, many of whom live in underserved towns throughout Israel. ITEC currently serves nearly 7,000 children weekly throughout 24 Israeli communities, stretching from the Lebanese border in the North to Beer-Sheva. The ITEC Foundation, a 501(c)(3), is the fundraising organization for ITEC, with offices in New York City, Florida, and Toronto. For more information, visit http://www.israeltenniscenters.org.

Iga Swiatek, Siegemund / Zvonareva Crowned Year-End WTA Finals Champs In Cancun

November 7, 2023 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

Garbine Muguruza Insists She Is Not Yet Retiring

October 18, 2023 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

Former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza insists that she is not thinking of a definitive retirement from tennis despite not competing for around nine months, reports Xinhua.

The 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon champion has not played since January and in July confirmed that she would not play again in 2023.

However, when she was asked about her future at an awards ceremony in Spain on Tuesday night, the 30-year-old said she “wasn’t even thinking of retiring.”

“You have to feel you want to retire and be very clear about it, but at the moment, I’m not even considering it,” she said.

Muguruza’s declarations came after a recent interview published in Women’s Health magazine in which she said, “At the moment, I have no intention of returning (to tennis).”

“I am not playing or training, I am living my life. I will return when I start to miss competing and when I want to raise my arm, train and have that discipline in my life again,” she said.

“My physical shape has changed, as I am not competing, but I try and keep in shape, without going to the limit. I love doing weights and cardio work, such as Zumba, Pilates, Yoga and boxing – all of the things that I couldn’t do because tennis didn’t give me time,” she said.

Rest In Peace Dick Leach, Legendary USC Men’s Tennis Coach

October 11, 2023 by Randy Walker 1 Comment

Dick Leach, the legendary men’s tennis coach for the University of Southern California, passed away October 10, 2023. Leach led the Trojans to NCAA team titles in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 2002 and is the father of ATP doubles standout Rick Leach, the former word No. 1 doubles player and winner of the Australian, U.S. and Wimbledon men’s doubles titles.

The following provides more background on Leach as he first became the USC coach in 1980, taking over for another college tennis coaching legend George Toley, as written by Mark Young in the book “Trojan Tennis: A History of the Storied Men’s Tennis Program at the University of Southern California” here https://a.co/d/bvtmV50

Dick Leach started playing tennis when he was ten years old at Arcadia County Park, in Arcadia, California. Wynn Rogers, Leach’s physical education teacher, and a member of the U.S. International Badminton team—and a very good tennis player—enrolled him in his first tennis class. Every weekend, all the local high school players from cities like Whittier, San Gabriel, Pasadena, Monrovia, Glendora, Temple City played at Arcadia Park. Darlene Hard and Billie Jean King also played at the park regularly, as did Pasadenan Stan Smith. The park was a breeding ground for great players as evidenced by Hard, King and Smith all achieving No. 1 rankings worldwide and, collectively, amassing 64 major singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles.

Fascinated with the game, Leach would ride his bike to the park and spend every weekend playing tennis. He was fanatical, playing a minimum of ten sets a day. By his mid-teens, he was ranked No. 3 in the National USTA 15-and-under singles. Leach was also very good at basketball and made first-team All-Pacific League when he was 17. From 1954 to 1957, Leach coached tennis at Arcadia (Calif.) High, amassing a 93-19 record. In 1958, he enrolled at USC and received a partial scholarship for tennis and also got a job on campus during the summers. Leach lived with his grandmother at 1020 West 36th Street. Later, George Lucas and Leach’s cousin, John Plummer, lived in the same home after the pair transferred to USC from Modesto Junior College. The home was torn down years ago and it is now the site of USC’s Life Sciences Building, which coincidentally is located just across the street from David Marks Tennis Stadium. Leach played tennis under George Toley at USC from 1959 to 1961, was captain of the team his senior year and achieved All-American third team honors in 1961.

From 1966-1968, Leach coached the USTA Junior Davis Cup team for boys 21-and-under and also played on the U.S. men’s circuit, achieving a high ranking of No. 16 in singles, and No. 5 in doubles. In 1967, he scored an impressive win at the Newport, Rhode Island tournament over Britain’s No. 1 ranked player Mark Cox. Later, he teamed with Robert Potthast from the University of Iowa for a dramatic win over Stan Smith and Bob Lutz at the Southern California Men’s Sectionals at the LATC in 1964. Leach won an astonishing 15 United States Tennis Association National Father and Son doubles titles—ten with his eldest son Rick, and five with son Jon. From 1969 to 1976 and, since 1971, he was the head pro at the San Marino Tennis Club and has been the general partner and owner of four tennis clubs: Big Bear Tennis Ranch, Westlake Tennis and Swim Club, Ojai Valley Racquet Club and the Racquet Club of Irvine.

“Right from the start, my goal, which later became somewhat of an obsession, was to win an NCAA team championship for USC, so I wanted to improve the way that everyone played,” said Leach. “The first thing I did was to conduct an interview with each of the players on scholarship. I would ask them to discuss their weaknesses and the conditions under which their strokes broke down. I would then prescribe a course of action with a timetable to overcome these shortcomings. Most of the players were coachable, but over the years, there were a few who resisted my coaching.”

Dick Leach on the front page of the Athens Daily News after his 1991 USC Trojan team won the NCAA team title at the University of Georgia

Alexander Zverev Wins Chengdu Open In China

September 26, 2023 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

In a thrilling final match played out in front of a capacity crowd, tournament number one seed and world No. 10 Alexander Zverev survived a robust challenge from Roman Safiullin to win 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in two hours and 59 minutes and lift the 21st ATP Tour-level title of his career.

The German was made to work hard for the win, with Safiullin showing incredible composure and grit to save break points in vital moments to keep the former world No. 3 at bay in the first set. The world No. 55 Safiullin then got an early mini-break to race to a 3-0 lead in the tie-break, before securing two more mini-breaks in the final two points to take a one set lead.

In the second set, the two players exchanged breaks in the second and third games, before holding serve strongly until a pulsating tie-break, in which neither player could capitalise on their service points. Three mini-breaks each were traded before Zverev scored the telling mini-break at 6-5 up to force a deciding set.

The German’s far greater experience of playing big finals began to show in the third set, as the 26-year-old appeared more relaxed while mistakes began creeping into Safiullin’s game, allowing Zverev to secure the necessary break in the fourth game that would seal his first Chengdu Open crown.

“He’s playing the best tennis of his life and he’s beaten a lot of great players this week, so I knew he was playing well. I’m happy to have been able to come back and win this title. This week has been amazing and it’s even better that I won the title,” said Zverev, who paid tribute to the throngs of fans that turned up throughout the week to watch him play.

“I feel like I always have a lot of fans in China and I feel Chinese people are very giving, they always bring gifts and give something in return for pictures and autographs, so that is very nice of them. I have never been here before so I didn’t know what to expect coming here, but it has surprised me in a nice way to see so many fans,” added the 26-year-old German, who will solidify his position at No. 7 in the Race to Turin with the 250 points picked up here today.

In a similarly electrifying finale to the doubles, top seeded French tandem Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul reversed a one set deficit to overcome second seeded Portuguese-Brazilian duo Francisco Cabral and Rafael Matos 4-6, 7-5, 10-7 in one hour and 51 minutes.

Cabral and Matos notched four points in a row against serve in the ninth game to secure the first break of the encounter, going 5-4 up and securing the first set in the next game. However, Doumbia and Reboul returned the favour in the second set, taking four points on the trot at 6-5 up against serve to force a super tiebreaker.

In the super tiebreaker, the Portuguese-Brazilian twosome seemed to have the upper hand when they went one mini-break up to take a 7-5 lead, but the French pair rallied instantly, upping their game to take five points on the trot and secure the unforgettable victory.

The pair have won 15 challenger titles and nine ITF Tour titles since teaming up in 2015, but the Chengdu Open title is their maiden Tour-level triumph as a pair, as well as individuals.

“We have been waiting for this moment for such a long time. We have won Challengers before, but it was a big goal for us to win an ATP Tour event. To do it here in China is special – it’s amazing for us,” said the 33-year-old Doumbia.

“I’m very happy to share this title with Sadio. We started playing doubles full time two or three years ago and we have been working hard every day to win these kinds of matches. We are very happy and hopefully we will win a lot of titles,” said the 28-year-old Reboul.

The duo credited their strong performance this week to feeling comfortable and at home in Chengdu, with Reboul adding: “I would say what is important is to feel good in a place. We have always felt very good here because the people are very nice. We were very excited to come back to China. I think when you feel at home, you can play your best tennis.”

The tournament is owned by IMG and is organised by the Chinese Tennis Association and Chengdu Municipal Government, is co-organised by Chengdu Sports Bureau, Shuangliu District Government and Chengdu Culture Tourism Group, and is promoted by Sichuan Investment International Tennis Centre Development Co., Ltd., CCTV IMG (Beijing) Sports Management Co. Ltd. and WME IMG China Culture Development Co. Ltd.

The Chengdu Open is also very proud to have the support of our distinguished partners, including the ATP Tour’s Premier Partner Emirates, the official ball and stringer Yonex, the official car FAW-Volkswagen, the Sichuan Tennis International Hotel, which is conveniently located adjacent to the courts and provides efficient services to the tournament, the official timer Luminox, the official player hotel Intercontinental Chengdu Global Center, the official coffee provider Wood & Coffee, the official gym equipment Impulse and the official water Su Lao Quan. The official tournament website www.ChengduOpenTennis.com has additional information about the tournament

Novak Djokovic Looks To Add On His 24 Major Singles Titles

September 12, 2023 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

With his win over Daniil Medvedev in the U.S. Open singles final, Novak Djokovic cemented his claim as the most accomplished tennis player — winning his 24th major singles title to equal the record held by Australian Margaret Court in the all-time count.

With the win, Djokovic became the oldest US Open men’s singles champion in the Open Era. In all, he has 10 Australian Opens, seven Wimbledons, four US Opens and three Roland Garros titles, making him the only man to win all four majors at least three times.

The Serb has long since realized his childhood dream — winning Wimbledon and being No.1 in the world. “When I realized that, I started to dream new dreams and set new objectives, new goals,” Djokovic said. “I never imagined that I would be here talking about 24 Slams.”

Djokovic reached all four major finals in 2023, and the only loss came at Wimbledon, when Carlos Alcaraz beat him in five sets in the final.

That defeat once again aroused the discussion of the generation shift from the Big Three — Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — to the younger players.

Federer announced his retirement last year, and 37-year-old Nadal has been absent from matches due to a hip injury at this year’s Australian Open.

Djokovic, at 36, shows few signs of losing physical edge. He stays healthy, maintains exceptional skills and always desires to win more. “I see this every Grand Slam that I play right now as really a golden opportunity to make more history,” he said.

Capturing his first major title in Australia in 2008, Djokovic bagged half of his 24 major titles after he turned 30. And a prolonged career requires stricter self-discipline.

“One of the biggest lessons I have learned probably mentally throughout my career is that even if you find a formula that works, it’s not a guarantee, and actually most likely it’s not going to work the next year,” said the Serb who keeps reinventing himself.

“As a 36-year-old competing with 20-year-olds, I probably have to do it more than I have ever done it in order to keep my body in shape, in order to be able to recover so that I can perform on the highest level consistently,” the Serbian said.

For Djokovic, who always gets tough when the going gets tough, 24 is just a number that he can go beyond.

“I’ll continue to prioritize them [Grand Slams] as my most important tournaments and where I want to play the best tennis,” he said. “So that will not change. That will stay the same in the next season, or I don’t know how many more seasons I have in my legs. So, let’s see.”

Novak Djokovic Ties Margaret Court’s Record With U.S. Open Win

September 11, 2023 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Novak Djokovic won his 24th major singles enduring past Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 to equal Margaret Court for the all-time lead in tennis history for most major singles titles won in a career. At age 36, Djokovic also became the oldest U.S. Open men’s singles champion, eclipsing Ken Rosewal, who won the 1970 U.S. singles title at age 35. Remarkably, Djokovic has now won titles at exactly one third of the majors he’s played in (24 titles in 72 major appearances).

The final against Medvedev was a rematch of their 2021 U.S. Open final when Medvedev upset Djokovic and ruined his bid to win for a Grand Slam sweep of all four majors in a single year, a feat only achieved by five players in tennis history. However, in 2023, Medvedev was not able to prevent Djokovic from making tennis history.

The match was ultimately decided in an incredible 1 hour, 44-minute second set, where Djokovic saved a set point and showcased some clutch serve and volley tactics when appeared to be in physical distress.

The fourth championship for Djokovic in New York also provided some poetic justice for the Serbian as he was unable to play the event in 2022 due to the United States government’s policy against admitting non-citizens who were not vaccinated. Djokovic also endured disappointment when he was disqualified from the 2020 U.S. Open when he mistakenly hit a ball in anger that hit a linesperson.

John McEnroe Charity Raises Record $625,000

August 30, 2023 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The John McEnroe Foundation’s Johnny Mac Tennis Project today announced that Saturday’s PRO AM event at SPORTIME Amagansett raised a record $650,000 in one day, besting the previous record of $600,000. It is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, with all proceeds going towards the foundation’s mission of transforming young lives by removing the economic, racial and social barriers to success through tennis.

Founded by tennis hall of famer John McEnroe, JMTP introduces tennis to thousands of under-resourced New York City area children, particularly those living in East Harlem and the South Bronx.

There were 75 teams competing in the event alongside legends: John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, James Blake, Reilly Opelka, Jim Courier, Rennae Stubbs, Andrea Petkovic, Luke Jensen and Richey Renenberg.

Pro Am Winners: Adam Sklar and Gui Medeiros

Pro Am Runners up: Dave Eisenberg and Dylan Breen

Pro Am Rose Flight Winners (Rose Flight is the Non-advancing flight): Amy Kline and Josep Baro

About the John McEnroe Tennis Academy In September 2010, tennis legend John McEnroe and SPORTIME partnered to launch the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, in John’s hometown of New York City, at the SPORTIME Randall’s Island Tennis Center in Manhattan. SPORTIME Randall’s Island is SPORTIME’s flagship location, and the flagship location of the Academy. In September 2012, JMTA expanded to SPORTIME Lake Isle, an 8-court, state-of-the-art, year-round facility in lower Westchester, and to SPORTIME Syosset in central Long Island, an 11-court indoor facility that has long served as SPORTIME’s high performance training center on Long Island. In 2013, JMTA Summer Tennis Training was added in the Hamptons, at SPORTIME Amagansett, SPORTIME’s 34-court, seasonal, outdoor tennis facility in the Town of East Hampton. With the satellite locations, the JMTA brand is currently featured at 4 sites with a total of 77 tennis courts, serving approximately 1,500 players annually and, as of September 2023, will be featured at 5 sites with a total of 96 courts, serving more than 2,000 players annually. Learn more: www.sportimeny.com/jmta

Billie Jean King Honored At U.S. Open By Michelle Obama, Sara Bareilles

August 29, 2023 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles helped kick off the 2023 US Open’s celebration of its 50th anniversary of equal prize money with a stirring tribute to tennis legend and cultural icon Billie Jean King on Monday night as the US Open set all-time night-session and day-night combined attendance records.

Before Bareilles delivered a poignant performance of her hit song, “Brave,” the former First Lady issued a moving dedication to King, the driving force behind bringing equal prize money to the US Open for the first time in 1973, saying:

“Let us all summon a fraction of the courage and tenacity of women like Billie Jean King and continue to fight for a better, more just and more equitable future for all of our children. So I want to congratulate the men and women of the US Open for raising the bar, not just for tennis, but for the entire world.”

The celebration capped a thrilling Opening Day and Night at the US Open that saw the tournament set several attendance records.

Monday’s total day-night combined attendance of 72,957 was a US Open record. Monday’s night-session attendance of 30,429 also set a US Open record for a single night session.

Michelle Obama and Billie Jean King at the 2023 U.S. Open (photo from the USTA)

Prudential Helps New Pro Ethan Quinn Plan For Retirement

August 25, 2023 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) announced today that it is partnering with the next generation of tennis talent – 19-year-old NCAA champ from the University of Georgia Ethan Quinn – in a brand deal that showcases Ethan at a new stage in his life: Preparing for competition as he makes his professional debut and thinking about…retirement.

Ethan will utilize Prudential Stages for Retirement and Prudential’s team of financial advisors to let his money work for him as he builds his tennis career. Through the power of compound interest, the investment could be worth as much as $2.6 million – nearly the value of winning a tennis title championship– when he is eligible for retirement.

“Ethan understands that the training and hard work pays off in more than one way, and is partnering with Prudential to inspire others to seize the moments when life goes right to plan for a better financial future,” said Susan Somersille Johnson, Prudential’s Chief Marketing Officer. “No matter what happens throughout his professional career – Ethan will be ready. And Prudential will be there to support him.”

This is important, says Prudential Financial Advisor and former professional football player Delvin Joyce. By planning now, Ethan can face his financial future with the same confidence he brings to the court.

“Earning a lot of money when young can create a false sense of security,” Joyce said. “Professional athletes are typically well compensated but are not taught how to manage their wealth. Ethan understands this, and wants to encourage young players to consider their financial future as their career begins, not when it is ending.”

As part of the brand deal, Ethan will star in an ad directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. The ad is the latest in Prudential’s ‘Now What?’ brand campaign and will premiere on national TV at the same time as the US Open Aug. 28-Sept. 10. It features a variety of inspiring moments: Ethan at center court of a large-scale stadium. Sitting on the sidelines. Walking down the tunnel. Preparing in the locker room. Near the end, he’s preparing for a serve, and hitting it across the net in what is now the exciting and defining moment of the rest of his life. The voice-over describes Ethan as an underdog, a long shot, a first timer. But it also describes him as ‘something that not too many people ever get to be. A professional.’

Green, a former college athlete who directed such iconic films as Monsters and Men, King Richard, and the upcoming Bob Marley: One Love, says his background in sports was one of the primary reasons he decided to sign on as director of the ad.

“I wish I understood the importance of saving my pennies when I was a young man starting out,” Green said. “Although I was raised to live in the moment, to be present, and that any day could be my last, I hope this ad inspires young people to save for the rainy and sunny days and create a plan for what’s to come.”

The brand deal with Ethan, which will also be supported by paid digital and social media, is in addition to a global campaign for Prudential’s global investment management division (PGIM) in partnership with Cam Norrie, the world’s #13 tennis player and the British #1. PGIM will be prominently featured on Cam’s shirt sleeve when he competes in the Australian Open, the French Open, the US Open and Wimbledon. Prudential and PGIM also will be featured on shirt sleeves for 40 matches at the US Open.

To learn more, please visit https://www.prudential.com/now-what

Ethan Quinn is a paid promoter and will be a customer of Prudential. For more information about his partnership, go to prudential.com/nowwhat.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a global financial services leader and premier active global investment manager with approximately $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees help make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people by expanding access to investing, insurance, and retirement security. Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise, and innovation for nearly 150 years. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.