ATP Airline Sponsor Switch Could Hurt SA Tennis

Written by: Staff on 2nd January 2013

ATP Airline Sponsor Switch Could Hurt SA Tennis

epa01624974 Czech Republic player, Ivo Minar, plays a shot during his match against Belgium's Kristof Vliegen during the ATP South African Open tennis championship played in Johannesburg, South Africa, 5 February 2009. It has been 15 years since an ATP event has been held in South Africa with the courts being purpose build for the event at a major shopping and entertainment mall. EPA/KIM LUDBROOK |

South African Airway’s (SAA) decision to terminate its sponsorship with the ATP Tour may have a negative effect on tennis in South African overhaul.

Last week, the ATP announced that airline Emirates would replace South Africa Airways as the air carrier of the tour in a five-year deal that began at the turn of the New Year.

South African Airway is mired in debt and is currently without a CEO.

Apparently it tried to pull out of the sponsorship deal earlier last year, but was denied by the ATP. However, once Emirates expressed interest and then finalized its deal, the ATP let SAA out of its contract.

Sport 24 reported that SAA’s deal with the ATP was worth about $37 million dollars for a five-year period. While the South Africa Tennis Association was not directly involved in the deal, the country’s tennis landscape did see some benefits.

“The deal between the ATP and SAA was between the two organizations and did not directly involve the South African Tennis Association,” Tennis South Africa spokesman Bruce Davidson told SAPA. “But it kept the focus on South Africa globally on a daily basis and indirectly was greatly beneficial for the country’s tennis image. It was also SAA’s link with the ATP that paved the way for the re-introduction of the South African Open on the world’s premier circuit in 2009.

That tournament shut down after three years.

SAA will no longer be able to contribute to the Tennis Association’s coffers either.

©Daily tennis news wire

Topics: Atp, Bruce Davidson, Emirates Airlines, South African Airways, Sport, Tennis