10 minute read
Tennis Headlines
HEAD Becomes Official Tennis Ball, Racquet and String of the Laver Cup
Laver Cup organizers announced recently that HEAD has signed a multiyear deal to become a global sponsor of the event, starting with this year’s edition to be held at the TD Garden in Boston from Sept. 24-26, 2021.
HEAD Tennis will become the Official Tennis Ball, Racquet, String, Stringer and Racquet Bag of the Laver Cup.
In one of a number of new initiatives, HEAD will work closely with the Laver Cup team to design a special edition Laver Cup branded racquet and bag that will be sold in the lead up to and during the Laver Cup.
Named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the Laver Cup is played over three days, with a fast-paced scoring system on a dramatic black court. The competition pits six of the best players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the World with tennis legends and great rivals Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe current captains for Team Europe and Team World respectively. “Since its inception in 2017, the Laver Cup has become a fan and player favorite, exciting new audiences with its captivating, unique team format,” said Ottmar Barbian, EVP Racquet Sports at HEAD. “We very much look forward to supporting this fantastic event as it continues to fascinate now and into the future.” Many players from HEAD’s high-performance roster have participated in previous editions of the Laver Cup, including current World No.1 Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, and Alexander Zverev. “Our players have had wonderful things to say about the organization, team spirit, and positive energy from fans,” continued Barbian. “The Laver Cup really is the perfect advertisement for the sport that we all love.” The fourth edition of the Laver Cup will take place at TD Garden, Boston, from Sept. 24-26, 2021. Team Europe hoisted the trophy at the inaugural event in Prague in 2017, Chicago in 2018, and Geneva in 2019.
There is power inside every fan. At Georgia Power, we believe fans have the power to impact matches and change communities. For over 100 years, we ’ ve been proud to power our community with low cost, reliable energy. Share how you power your community forward using #PowerForward
Babolat to Help Build Racquet Sports Players Laboratory
Two French companies, Babolat, and HumanFab, sports science expert in human engineering, announced a joint collaboration earlier this year to create and develop a one-of-kind laboratory focused on the study of “the human racquet sports player.”
Merging their expertise, the two companies will scientifically explore and improve knowledge of players through the application of biomechanics to racquet sports. “Today, our equipment innovations spring from an empirical understanding of players and a keen observation of the game. Our research is conducted on the court, and with our global network of players — from clubs to the highest levels of competition. By adopting a new scientific approach, we will deepen our know-how and further define our expertise, resulting in a more precise offer response,” says Eric Babolat, president of Babolat.
A racquet sports laboratory, the collaboration between Babolat and HumanFab focuses on the human factor to advance knowledge so that product innovation will perfectly suit players’ needs, regardless of age or level, helping them discover their potential and optimize performance. “This is an ambitious and exciting project. Offering a player-centered approach with 360-degree services combining product development, sports medicine support, and training is extremely innovative,” adds Jean-Bernard Fabre, CEO and founder of HumanFab. “With complementary expertise, our ambition is to become the global scientific standard for biomechanics in racquet sports.”
The first phase of the collaboration begins with the construction of a nearly 27,000-square-foot Racquet Sports Players Laboratory (Laboratoire des Sports de Raquettes) in Aix-enProvence, France, which includes a 3.0 tennis court among other features.
GREATNESS DOESN’T HAPPEN IN SILENCE
MAKE A RACKET
PRoud sponsor
Babolat Releases Signature Nadal Racquet
It turned heads throughout the French Open last September, especially when the Spanish champion celebrated his 20th Grand Slam victory by waving it in the air. The Babolat Pure Aero Rafa, Rafael Nadal’s first signature racquet (and its matching bag) are now on sale.
The Pure Aero Rafa racquet was developed in collaboration with the player by Babolat, which has been supplying him with equipment since the start of his tennis career. Its exclusive new graphic design matches the player’s personality and distinctive gameplay. Nadal chose a combination of warm, explosive colors with dominant tones of yellow, purple, and orange. The name of the player, RAFA, in capitals, and the model, Pure Aero, stand out in purple letters on the throat.
“I like powerful, bright colors, and I like this racquet; it’s definitely me. We worked with Babolat to make it happen. And I’m really pleased with it. It’s important to feel good on court. I really hope players enjoy it,” Nadal said.
And since there’s only one “Rafa,” he’s also the only professional player on the circuit to use the racquet, giving fans a unique opportunity to feel even closer to their favorite champion.
The specs of the Pure Aero Rafa are the same as the regular Pure Aero. Invented in 2005 by Babolat to support Nadal and players from his professional team in their quest to achieve the ultimate performance, the Aero is the leading powerful racquet specially adapted for extreme lift, which in addition to the world’s first aerodynamic frame, supports offensive gameplay and pushes opponents behind the baseline. One Pure Aero racquet is sold every two minutes around the world, Babolat reports.
This year promises even more excitement for Nadal as he takes on the sizeable challenge of securing his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title.
“Rafa’s passion, commitment, and perseverance are beyond compare,” says Antoine Ballon, tennis sport director at Babolat.” He constantly rewrites tennis history, and he’s just inches away from an incredible record. To mark 20 years of their historic partnership, Babolat wanted to create a special racquet that highlights the brand’s commitment to this exceptional player and allows fans around the world to support his quest to achieve the ultimate performance.”
WE KNOW LIGHTS.
Only Court Lighting for 25 Years ECM TENNIS LIGHTS
ecmtennislights.com 678.640.1578
Come Join the Special Pops Tennis Board
Opportunities Available: Two Special Pops Tennis Board members Primary Roles to Fill: A) Grant Writing and B) Volunteer Training
Special Pops Tennis (SPT) is looking for people who wish to join the leadership team. They would like to work with qualified persons who have the passion for the sport of tennis and the heart for serving the population with intellectual disabilities. SPT’s mission is “enriching the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities through the lifetime sport of tennis.” The Special Pops motto is “Play Tennis; Make Friends; Live Life.”
If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, contact Jim Hamm, Special Pops Tennis Executive Director, at 404.702.5820, or e-mail your resume (include a recap of your tennis experience) directly to jim_hamm2003@ yahoo.com. Also visit the SPT website at www.specialpopstennis.org if you wish to know more about the programs of Special Pops Tennis.
Your involvement will change lives, including yours!
In New Book, Physician Helps Athletes Set Realistic Expectations
In his book, “How to R.A.I.S.E. an Athlete: The Formula,” author and orthopedic surgeon Richard C. Lehman offers advice on bringing up the next generation of sports heroes. According to Lehman, the book introduces a formula to set realistic expectations, avoid dangers and pitfalls in sports, manage illnesses and injuries, build an athlete’s support team, and set kids up, not just for great seasons and careers, but great lives.
Packing their knowledge into this book with Lehman are other professionals in sports and medicine, including Jackie Joyner-Kersee, sportscaster Frank Cusumano, world-class triathlete Louis DiGuiseppe, NHL legend Tony Twist, MLB, NFL, and World Tennis pros, coaching greats Bobby Kersee, Mike Keenan, Nino Fennoy, Patrick Hulliung, Jay Harrington, and more.
The author is a licensed physician in Missouri and California; he actively treats track and field athletes from around the world and elite athletes from every sport all across North America. Learn more about him and the book at amazon.com.
Last Issue’s Trivia Contest Winner Is …
Congratulations! We drew our winner from a pool of readers who submitted correct answers, and Chelsea Marelle, Fair Oaks Women B2, won a new duffle bag from Adidas! Try your luck with this issue’s contest and see if you can join the ranks of our previous trivia contest winners. Here is the original quiz and the correct answers:
1. Who is the 2021 ALTA Chairman of the Board?
Joyce Vance
2. What is the name of the organization which benefited from the round robin charity tournament organized by the Windermere and
Fieldstone tennis centers? Jesse’s House
3. Who was the first female ALTA President?
Joan Williams
July/August Trivia Contest
Enter for your chance to win a prize bundle from Theragun and Tourna Tennis (Unique Sports)!
To enter the contest, correctly answer the following three questions, in addition to submitting a new favorite courtside recipe, and mail it to New South Publishing, Attn: Cory Sekine-Pettite, 9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30350. Answers and recipes may also be submitted online at netnewsmag.com. Hint: The answers can be found in this issue.
Entry deadline: Friday, June 4.
1. What is the name of ALTA’s 2022 president and which award did he recently receive?________________
2. What type of aircraft did one of ALTA’s oldest living members navigate in World War II? _________________
3. What is the name of the tennis pro who is quoted in Net News for saying, “Tennis is truly the sport of a lifetime.” ______________________________________________
Please submit a favorite courtside recipe along with this entry to be eligible.
Name _____________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________
City __________________________________ State _______ ZIP _____________
Email ______________________________________________________________
Phone _____________________________________________________________
League ____________________________________________________________
THE 18TH ANNUAL NET NEWS Photo Contest
ONLINE DIGITAL PHOTO SUBMISSIONS ONLY!
ENTRY CATEGORIES: HUMOR | ACTION | COURTSIDE | CHILDREN | PETS | STILL LIFE
NEW! Contest Rules and Regulations
1. You must be a member of ALTA. 2. Photos must relate to tennis and/or tennis play. 3. All contest submissions must be received
ONLINE by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2021. 4. Decisions of the judges are final. 5. Limit three entries per ALTA member. 6. Each photo entry must include a completed
ONLINE entry form. 7. Judges reserve the right to title photos if no title is provided and to change the category into which a photo has been entered. 8. Photos not taken by the entrant must be accompanied by a release form signed by the photographer. ALTA and Net News are not responsible for any copyright violations. 9. Judges reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet the above rules and regulations. 10. All winning photos will be featured in the annual
November/December edition of Net News. 11. Questions may be addressed to production@ knowatlanta.com.
NEW! Photography Specifications
1. Photos must be provided in a high resolution format. (300dpi at a minimum of 5" x 7") This means your photo will be a file that is between 1.5MB and 3MB in size! 2. When uploading images from your phone, always choose the "Actual Size" option. 3. Low resolution, nonreproducible images will not be considered for the photo contest.
Prizes courtesy of
