Tennis Headlines

DE MINAUR WINS SECOND ATLANTA TITLE, KOKKINAKIS/KYRGIOS WIN DOUBLES

A big thank you to ALTA members!

Wow! What a great 2022 Atlanta Open! We made history with record ticket sales, retail store sales, and food and beverage sales. So, I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to my fellow ALTA members for helping make the tournament an unbelievable success. It was great seeing so many ALTA players throughout the entire week.

The 2022 singles final featured two of the brightest young stars in the game. Atlanta tennis fans know Alex de Minaur - he was our 2019 singles champion, but you also quickly got to know up and coming young American Jenson Brooksby. Both players had a great week with Alex coming out on top in the finals to a packed stadium!

It was Coco x 2 this year as our annual “Sunday Showdown delivered by UPS” featured the rising star taking on another Atlanta product in Taylor Townsend. Heading into 2022, we heard so many positive comments about bringing women’s stars to our men’s event, so we decided to do it for ALTA Night, a Monday night match as well. Coco stayed around to take on former Australian Open champ and young American Sofia Kenin.

Speaking of Australian Open champs...it was great to have the 2022 Australian Open doubles champs, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios, in Atlanta and winning our doubles crown! Our ATP doubles field had eight (8) Grand Slam doubles title winners in the draw - our strongest doubles field ever!

We couldn’t do what we do each year without great partners like ALTA, Atlantic Station, UPS, Coca-Cola, NCR, Cadillac, USTA, Corona Premier, Kim Crawford, Ketel One, Dunlop, and many others.

We were proud to once again crown the ALTA AA-3 Champions on our ATP tournament courts during the tournament. What a thrill for the players and the competition was high level!

We suspect that you enjoyed the new shaded box seats, air-conditioned VIP seating options, and misting stations. Our venue had plenty of room to roam and enjoy the music stage area, expanded relaxation areas, and new food options this year.

Make sure you save the dates for 2023 and those dates are July 22 – July 30, once again at Atlantic Station.

Thanks again to ORTHO ATLANTA sports medicine specialists for helping keep our ATP players healthy and on the court! Ortho had their “Daily Tip” in the Daily Draw each day, providing helpful medical tips for all of us. If you or your ALTA teammates have a health issue or question, let Ortho Atlanta help you get back on court ASAP.

Lastly, THANK YOU again for a great 2022 Atlanta Open and good luck this fall in your ALTA leagues!

— Eddie Gonzalez Atlanta Open 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

The Beach Club Hires New Tennis Pro, Turquoise Place Gets New Courts

The Beach Club Resort & Spa in Gulf Shores, Alabama recently announced new tennis programming under newly hired Tennis Pro Joey Carney. Carney is the former Head Professional for Club Med Resorts and Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, Florida. He trained at The John Newcombe Tennis Academy and has created successful tennis programs all over the world. Carney is a USPTA Elite Professional, Pro1 rating Tennis Canada, and is a USRSA Master Racquet Technician.

Among the new programming offered is Fit To Hit Cardio, kids tennis drills, private lessons, and group lessons. For more information, visit thebeachclub. spectrumresorts.com.

Courts resurfaced at Turquoise Place

Meanwhile at Spectrum’s other Alabama resort, the tennis courts at Turquoise Place (in Orange Beach) have just been resurfaced to a beautiful turquoise color. The courts also have received blended lines for pickleball play.

As Net News stated recently in our “Weekend Getaways” feature, Turquoise Place’s luxury amenities include hot tubs and grills on every balcony, a winding lazy river, six pools, an onsite poolside bar and grill, pool-side cabanas, activities for the kids, and condos starting at 3,200 square feet.

Two regulation-size tennis courts are located just outside the indoor pool area on the fourth-floor amenity level of the east tower. Turquoise glass provides a stunning backdrop for the lighted courts. From the advanced players looking to show off their skills to beginners eager to try a new sport, these courts are available to all guests. Learn more at turquoiseplace.spectrumresorts.com.

Drink responsibly. Corona Premier® Beer. Imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL

PIVOT Agency Hosts Las Vegas Event with Agassi and Graf

PIVOT Agency, a San Francisco-based sports marketing firm, welcomed people from around the world to Las Vegas for a weekend in April of tennis and luxury, all in conjunction with two tennis legends, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

Between the two of them, Agassi and Graf hold 30 Grand Slams plus two Olympic gold medals. “PIVOT is honored to work with legends such as Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf to develop and execute unforgettable tennis experiences. This will continue to be an active fixture of our business services moving forward,” says Ben Shapiro, CEO and founder of PIVOT.

The weekend featured dinners at Bardot Brasserie in the Aria Resort & Casino, and Michael Mina’s flagship restaurant at the Bellagio. Agassi helped co-found the Mina Group in 2002 alongside critically acclaimed chef, Michael Mina. Mina has opened more than 45 restaurants around the world.

“I was really happy with the Las Vegas event with Andre and Steffi and how unique the experience was for all our guests. Andre and Steffi were amazing with everyone,” said Elliot Bloom, VP of the Tennis division at PIVOT.

Attendees were able to spend private time with Agassi and Graf at a reception, as well as multiple hours on court with them at the Frank and Vicki Fertitta Tennis Complex at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education has long supported the athletic program at UNLV.

PIVOT’s next event will be the weekend of September 29 to October 2 in Napa, California with another duo of tennis legends, Bob and Mike Bryan, better known as the Bryan Brothers. “I’m really looking forward to our Napa Valley Tennis and Wine Experience with the Bryan Brothers in the fall. Like Vegas, this will offer our guests the unique opportunity to not only hang out with but play tennis with the doubles legends,” says Bloom.

For more information about the event, visit pivot-agency.com.

Enjoy the beauty of the north Georgia mountains and Big Canoe for your next get away with your tennis and pickleball crew! We will put together the ultimate tennis and/or pickleball get away to get you ready for the season, enjoy your spring break, and spend some quality time on the courts!

Big Canoe Racquet Club 706-268-3367

Geoff Hedges Racquet Club Director ghedges@bigcanoe.org

Sigrún Brings Apparel and Fun to Tennis Event at Standard Club

RICK LIMPERT AND ISABELLE CLOY

Athletes will tell you that if they are feeling and looking good, they will play well. And about 50 attendees at the Sigrún “Double Bagel Tennis Club” pop-up event in July in Alpharetta were getting a look at how Sigrún tennis apparel can make you feel, look and play well. With tennis dignitaries, such as ATP coach Phil Farmer, top ATP doubles player Nate Lammons, and former and current college players Andrei Duarte, Eddy Tymes and Ellie Wright on hand to play and give instruction, tennis players received a treat. Sigrún, a new premium American tennis brand providing modern, more sustainable performance tennis apparel and accessories made by tennis players, displayed its Summer 2022 collection, a new resort-inspired men’s performance tennis collection in lightweight technical fabrics. Since its launch, the brand has been focused on growing and improving the sport in the U.S., launching its pro sponsorship program in May 2022 with three American athletes playing on the ATP doubles tour. Sigrún also supports local players and coaches through its Pro Team and Affiliate programs, as well as local organizations, clubs, leagues, and tournaments. Through its apparel and marketing, Sigrún aims to continue to make the sport a home for players regardless of ability while providing encouragement to all players to improve and work on their games. “We created this brand to bring something new and fresh to the sport, something different than the traditional mainstream brands that allows you to represent tennis in a unique way,” says David Caylor, the brand’s founder. “Tennis is experiencing significant growth in the U.S., with 4 million more players in 2021 according to the USTA, and we hope to continue to support this momentum by helping to build the sport’s culture and fashion and supporting its local players and organizations.” The Sigrún name is based on the Sigrún (pronounced “sigroon”), Valkyrie a god-like warrior originating in Norse mythology whose name is the combination of the words for “secret” and “victory.” The Valkyrie is an icon that represents the brand’s spirit — the ability as players to choose your own path and the belief that you are responsible for your actions and victories. This event was dubbed, “The Double Bagel Tennis Club.” Caylor explains: “The Double Bagel Tennis Club" was our first event celebrating both our summer collection and Atlanta tennis as we went into the Atlanta Open. Atlanta is a huge tennis market and as an American tennis brand with a personal connection to the city, we couldn’t think of a better place to have this event. Hopefully we brought together people in the tennis community for a fun afternoon of social but competitive tennis that gave people an experience that was different and unique from the normal weekend club match.” Attendees were given a swag bag that included a Sigrún t-shirt and other gifts from sponsors. While on court, players participated in drills and Fast Four sets. All while receiving world-class instruction from the pros and college athletes. Get more info at sigruntennis.com.