10sBalls Asks: Is Tennis Killing Tennis?

This is the second in a series…Probably a long series…

We’ve heard from people in places near and far encouraging us to show why we are here.

Gene Scott this one’s for you! 

“The king of barter” and creative marketing mind Gene Scott traded hotel bookings and airline flights in  exchange for banners and promotions with the airlines and hotels who would sponsor for free for the players and media!

Maybe that’s the way to run an event.

Again, we say tennis is not getting killed by PICKLEBALL or PADEL TENNIS or POP TENNIS or PING PONG.

Maybe it’s TENNIS killing itself? A tournament director isn’t necessarily a great promoter. Any ad agency that doesn’t see the demographics in tennis has their head in the sand (or in our sport the, clay). 

Tennis has almost no marketing and/or promoting! It doesn’t help when solid, established, always credentialed media freelancers and outlets are now offered qualifying matches for free? Yes,  that was last week in that hard court event.   So many of our readers now know why we never mentioned a hard-court tournament this past week in America. 

We WRITERS/JOURNALIST by the way get almost nothing in exchange for grinding out stories 10-15 hours a day. Our food allowance can be as little as $15 a day – at an expensive venue.

Is tennis killing tennis?

Why would any event push for minimal media presence? Maybe… that way they control the news that is being put out…? For example: SOLD OUT! (Wasn’t really sold out).  Because how are you still selling tickets –  if you’re sold out?   

The editor-in-chief of a tennis news website which has been in existence since forever and has covered all of the majors, as the media says: “With so many mainstream media outlets, be they print or broadcast not even having anyone covering tennis in general, tennis websites, podcasts and dare I say some blogs help to fill the gaps in covering the sport.”

Editors Note • YES, there’s more coming. But we have to say the MAJOR events. That’s called a slam today (win all 4 in a calendar year and there’s your Grand Slam ) are exceptional in their abilities to try and make everyone in the media room feel welcome in every way. They send out lovely welcome letters. They give you plenty of time to book your reservations. They realize why the press is there and the great expense that the organization sent them costs . And , You can always appeal.

TENNIS…Wake Up!