Jeff Williams, president of the TIA and publisher of Tennis Industry magazine, was awarded the prestigious 2017 Leslie J. FitzGibbon Tennis Man of the Year Award by USTA Eastern at its Annual Awards Dinner on Jan. 28. Williams was recognized for his sustained involvement in growing the game through his pioneering, entrepreneurial pursuits and leadership over several decades that have made significant contributions to the sport locally, nationally and internationally.

The USTA announced a restructuring of its Community Tennis division prompted by the success of the USTA National Campus in the Lake Nona district of Orlando, Fla. This restructuring will allow the USTA to better focus its people and resources as it continues to innovate across all grassroots areas, including youth and adult tennis, tournament play, digital outreach, education and overall tennis participation. 

The Tennis Industry Association Board of Directors voted in early December to reappoint Jeff Williams as the ongoing TIA president in a new and expanded capacity. Williams will become the first president as a staff position since Jim Baugh held that position 10 years ago. This newly created role will allow Williams to further focus on the industry’s specific challenges and opportunities by working closely with TIA staff and industry partners.

Ajay Pant, the national tennis director for Life Time, has been named “Person of the Year” for 2017 by Tennis Industry magazine in the publication’s January 2018 issue. Pant led off the magazine’s 17th annual “Champions of Tennis Awards,” which honors people, businesses and organizations dedicated to improving the sport and business of tennis.

In recognition of their lengthy and steadfast support of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Hope (Happy) van Beuren and Christopher Clouser have been appointed Life Trustees of the organization.

USTA Florida has named Frank Swope director of tennis management. He will lead the new division aimed at partnering with municipalities to manage and improve public tennis facilities across the state.

Tennis Channel has added Hall of Fame coach Nick Bollettieri to its deep roster of influential tennis professionals and visionaries. Bollettieri will provide motivational tips, answer viewer questions via “Ask Nick” videos, write weekly articles for TennisChannel.com and sister site Tennis.com, and will likely contribute on air and to Tennis magazine. His first material is set to appear digitally this week during the network’s weeklong coverage of the Shanghai Rolex Masters tournament in China.
 

When International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty was inducted into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame on Aug. 28 in New York City, during the TIA’s annual Tennis Forum, the audience was treated to a short video showing some of the many tennis scene’s in Haggerty’s life and career. The video is available to view at TennisIndustry.org/HOF.

The 10th Annual Tennis Industry Association (TIA) Tennis Forum was held in New York City on Aug. 28, the first day of play at the US Open, and the audience of nearly 300 tennis industry leaders heard the latest news about the state of the tennis industry, updates on grow-the-game initiatives, and business insights, along with a spotlight on tennis innovation.

International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty was honored at the Tennis Industry Association Tennis Forum in New York on Aug. 28 with induction into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.