ATP Creates The Brad Drewett Trophy

Written by: Staff on 1st July 2013

ATP Creates The Brad Drewett Trophy |

Players at the year-end championships this November in London will be competing for the Brad Drewett trophy as the ATP honors its late chairman and CEO.

Drewett, a former player and longtime tennis executive in a variety of roles, died in the spring from illness. But he will long be remembered in the international tennis family, with the naming of the new trophy only one tribute announced by the organization at the Wimbledon Championships.

Drewett passed away shortly after the ATP established the Heritage program, running all through this year to mark the 40th years since the inception of the ranking system. Drewett served as tournament director of the season-ending tournament from 2001-11, overseeing the event’s enormous international success throughout that period.

This week at Wimbledon, players, coaches and officials have been wearing special ‘BD’ patches in honor of the former ATP Executive Chairman and President

The sanctioning body on Saturday also launched a special commemorative coffee table book celebrating all year-end ATP World Tour number one players. Ahead of the US Open, the ATP will be holding a special gathering of former number ones at a celebration event in New York on Friday, August 23, at the Waldorf Astoria.

The book begins with Ilie Nastase, first to be top-ranked in 1973, going through all the greats up to the present day.

Roger Federer, who spent a record 302 weeks at the top: “It is a huge deal to have achieved the things that my heroes, people like Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras, did. To be a member of the list is truly humbling. World No. 1 doesn’t just come to you, you have to go and get it and that’s what I did. It took me a lot of great performances to get there.”

Added current number one Novak Djokovic: “It is incredible to be a part of this elite [group], looking at the names who have ended the year as No. 1, the 16 since 1973, who have done so much for tennis on and off the court. I know how much effort it takes and how many people around the world compete for that place. Being the No. 1 is the pinnacle of all the ambitions of every player. This is the dream.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Atp, Brad Drewett, London End of the year championships, Novak Djokovic, Sports, Tennis News, Wimbledon Championships