8 minute read
Tennis Headlines
Slinger Continues to Grow Through Acquisitions
As reported recently in Net News, as well as in national publications such as Forbes, Slinger continues to move beyond just manufacturing its Slinger Bag product. Last summer, the company purchased software developer Foundation Tennis, whose application provides business services for tennis facilities. Then last fall, Slinger acquired Gameface.AI, an artificial intelligence technology that offers instant analysis of biomechanics. The company followed that purchase with the acquisition of PlaySight, a sport video, data capture, and performance analytics provider.
“Our goal is to create a full suite of ‘Watch, Play and Learn’ solutions, the three largest commercial activities in every sport,” said Slinger CEO Mike Ballardie in a statement released following the PlaySight acquisition. “To accomplish this, we are building a 360-degree platform of products and services to meet the needs of our tennis consumers today, and for other major sports over the next few years. With the acquisition of Foundation Tennis and the announced deals to acquire PlaySight and GameFace.AI, we now have the pieces in place to serve today’s sports consumer in a multitude of ways, from a SaaS business platform to video, streaming and production to artificial intelligence.”
Slinger launched its product in 2020 with a portable ball machine for tennis. Since that time, it has added partnerships and ambassador roles with the likes of Patrick Mouratoglou and his Mouratoglou Academy, Genie Bouchard, Darren Cahill, David Grutman, and Dustin Brown. According to Forbes, last August, Slinger announced $11 million in an oversubscribed round and in September a 349-percent increase in first-quarter fiscal 2021 net sales with new orders totaling $3.7 million.
The current growth of the brand, says Ballardie, is attributed to delivering “fun, convenience, and accessibility” regardless of a tennis player’s skill level. The product itself allows players to get out and hit tennis balls virtually anytime, anyplace, and anywhere. The next phase of growth comes from layering technologies, such as AI, visual learning, deep-data analysis, and video production and live streaming across the product.
Pickleball Courts Added as New Amenity at The Sea Pines Resort
Six dedicated pickleball courts are now part of the racquet sports offerings at Hilton Head’s Sea Pines Resort. Open daily for play from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with 24-hour advance reservations, courts are available to resort guests ($15/hour) and nonguests ($20/hour).
Pickleball had a 650-percent increase in participation over the past six years, according to the USA Pickleball Association, adding more than 2.5 million players for a total of 4.2 million enthusiasts. This number is set to double in the next five years, the association reports, with the largest growth segment anticipated to be 35- to 45-year-old Millennials and Gen-Xers.
“With pickleball being the fastest growing sport in America, we wanted to provide resort guests with quality playing opportunities and to encourage a love for the sport that they may continue to share with their friends and families,” said Patrick O’Keefe, director of tennis, The Sea Pines Resort.
Round robin matches are offered Monday through Friday from 9-10:30 a.m. and on Saturday from 9:30-11 a.m. The pro shop has equipment available for rent, as well as major pickleball paddle brands and accessories for purchase.
In addition to pickleball, The Sea Pines Resort’s Racquet Club, the region’s #1 tennis resort, features 18 outdoor clay courts, lessons, clinics, and the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy. For more on Sea Pines, see our “Getaways” feature, beginning on page 42.
Tennis Fans Now Have a Chance to Mingle in Las Vegas With Agassi and Graf
Sports marketing agency PIVOT has announced and exclusive Las Vegas getaway with tennis legends, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf from April 22-24, 2022. The all-inclusive weekend features a twonight stay in the luxurious Sky Suites at the Aria Resort & Casino, fine dining at worldrenown Michael Mina restaurants, a private cocktail reception with Agassi and Graf, tennis at UNLV with the legends, a Cirque du Soleil show, all ground transportation, and more.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most people to not only mingle with two tennis legends, but to also be on the tennis courts with them will be incredibly special. I think most tennis enthusiasts have meeting Andre and Steffi on their bucket list, and this weekend is the perfect chance to check that off!” says Elliot Bloom, VP of Tennis at PIVOT Agency.
Graf holds 22 major singles titles, which is third behind Margaret Court and Serena Williams on the all-time list. She became the first tennis player to capture the Golden Slam, which is all four majors plus an Olympic Gold Medal in the same calendar year (1988). Agassi was a former world No. 1 and still holds the record for being the only man to win a “Super Slam,” which is all 4 majors, an Olympic Gold Medal, and the year-end championships.
Learn more about the event at pivot-agency.com.
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Training Grounds Partners with Serena Williams
In the wake of its successful online summer camp last year, Santa Monica, California-based Cloud9 Esports is evolving its Training Grounds youth development initiative into a full-fledged afterschool program in partnership with tennis champion Serena Williams.
The premier esports organization launched Training Grounds to nurture the next generation of players in esports, an industry that is expected to grow to $3 billion in 2022, according to Goldman Sachs. A program for middle and high schools, Training Grounds emphasizes the values of teamwork, critical thinking, and sportsmanship within the context of competitive gaming. Training Grounds coaches deliver a curriculum centered on youth mentorship, growth, and excellence while building a fun and inclusive gaming community among its players.
In the Training Grounds Champion’s Mindset course, Serena Williams personally details the practices and mindset shifts that drove her to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. The course also includes specific tips for coaching a Champion’s Mindset with young Esports players.
In collaboration with the Positive Coaching Alliance, an organization dedicated to creating a positive youth sports culture, Cloud9 is offering the “Champion’s Mindset” course free on its website (traininggrounds.gg) for school coaches, parents, and educators to use as part of their youth development work.
“Hard-work, practice and dedication are so important when you’re working to become the best and make your dreams come true, whether that be in sport or something different,” said Williams. “As an advisor on Cloud9, I am excited to team up on their Training Grounds program to help nurture these skills in students everywhere.”
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wishing you a smashing New Year, my fellow ALTA members, and I hope you are looking forward to 2022!
There are so many reasons to be excited about tennis as we enter the new year. Once again, the Tennis Industry Association latest industry survey shows that adult and youth tennis racquet shipments increased, reinforcing growth for the sport at all levels. That’s great news! As we see in Atlanta throughout the year, tennis is a family and lifelong sport to enjoy!
Heading into 2022, this positive news bodes well for our Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv. We are committed to delivering a world-class player field and offering a fun, safe and healthy environment, once again.
The 2022 event, scheduled for July 23 – 31, may seem far off, but we are already working hard to put on our best event to date!
ALTA members should be excited about the conversations we are having with players and all the positive feedback we get from players all over the world about Atlanta and our venue at Atlantic Station.
Each year we carefully evaluate our stadium design, take in your feedback, and make upgrades with our loyal fans in mind. This year we will offer better viewing on all match courts and more seating options. That includes our unique “Shade Upgrade” with premium VIP seats in the shade that come with great sightlines for enjoying all the action. We appreciate all the great feedback on our digital backwall and enhanced venue layout. Again, we take pride in offering the best fan experience possible.
We are always proud to showcase Atlanta’s top restaurants and chefs all week, alongside our great charity partners. We know ALTA members enjoy great food and world-class tennis... what could be better!
As a reminder, our 2022 dates are July 23 – 31, so hold the dates now!
Visit www.atlantaopentennis.com for deals, tournament news and surprises. Make sure to follow our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and fun giveaways.
We are looking forward to another great year with Ortho Atlanta being our medical partner. They are available to help tennis players of all ages and levels get back to playing tennis. From our ATP Tour players to ALTA league players, contact Ortho Atlanta to get back on the court!
As always, please email me with any comments, questions or ideas on how we can improve our Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv. As a fellow passionate tennis fan and ALTA member, I love hearing from fellow ALTA members on how we can make Atlanta’s only ATP Tour event the most talked about event in Atlanta each summer.
Hoping you have a happy and healthy 2022 and looking forward to seeing you on the courts and at the 2022 Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv.
— Eddie Gonzalez Truist Atlanta Open presented by Fiserv Tournament Director gonzalez@atlantaopentennis.com
A good orthopedist gets you back in the game. A great one gives you back YOUR LIFE.
Official Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Provider of the Truist Atlanta Open
OrthoAtlanta.com | 770.953.6929
