WTA Chief Sees Opportunities For Expansion And Increased Sponsorships

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 21st October 2013

Singapore set to host the WTA Championshpis

WTA Chief Sees Opportunities For Expansion And Increased Sponsorships

epa03691486 Women's Tennis Association (WTA) chief executive Stacey Allaster speaks during a press conference in Singapore, 08 May 2013. The WTA announced that Singapore will play host to its annual end-of-season tour championships for five years starting in 2014. EPA/STEPHEN MORRISON |

Stacey Allaster, chairman and chief executive of the WTA will leave the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul before they have even begun, to fly to New York in her ongoing search for a global sponsor of women’s tennis to replace Sony Ericsson.

Although the WTA have announced major sponsors such as SAP and Xerox in the last year, the gaping hole left by the world record $88 million deal spread over six years that expired almost six years ago.

“We are happy with the partnerships with SAP and Xerox that we have entered into but we have not completely filled up the gap that was left by Sony Ericsson,” said Allaster as she delivered her annual ‘State of the Union’ address at Istanbul’s Sopot Renaissance players’ hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus.

“We will replace, it’s just a matter of time, either with one big partner on a global basis or several lead partners on a regional basis. But to that goal, I’m leaving here this afternoon and flying back to New York to have meetings.”

Allaster alluded to the three year business plan she announced for the WTA in 2010 and maintained that since then $200 million have been accrued for women’s tennis from new sponsors, tournaments, television deals.

But she is far from satisfied and sees the year ending Championships, featuring the top eight singles players on the women’s tour, as the showpiece to bring in new business. Consequently she announced expansion plans for the even when it moves to Singapore for a five year long stay starting next October.

“Firstly, the tournament will become an eight days long event, in the same way as the men’s Masters,” said Allaster, determined to bring a ‘day on-day off routine for the top performers in replication of Grand Slam play. “We are going to add four more doubles teams, making it the top eight singles players and the top eight doubles partnerships.

“Plus we have plans for an invitational tournament for rising young stars and young Asian players. And we want to bring back our former champions for a Legends event.

“We have great confidence about our move to Singapore. In Formula One motor racing, the Singapore Grand Prix is the most innovative race on the circuit and I’m sure it will be the same for us.”

Finally Allaster stressed her disappointment of the fact that recent elections for the International Tennis Federation resulted in not one woman sitting on the board. “This is sad,” she maintained. “Tennis is a sport that prides itself on its’ equality and in 2013 not to have a single woman on the ITF board is something we are not happy about. I also understand the ITF is not pleased and is addressing the situation.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Bnp Paribas, Itf, Sap, Stacey Allaster, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta, Xerox