Worldwide Tennis Associations
Tennis associations have supported the players for many years. There are several championships that encourage the sport for both men and women.
The excitement at a Wimbledon match attracts a lot of newspaper and television publicity. Profits from the ticket sales enable the world of tennis to continue to sponsor tennis camps and scholarships. The sport is attracting more spectators each year. Most of the matches involve two players that are pitted against each other in the singles. The tennis doubles matches offer the same fast paced action. Sports information is available with email newletters (from your friendly email service provider) from some of the tennis associations.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF)
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)
United States Tennis Association (USTA)
Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)
are among some of the better known tennis organizations. The associations need to continually sponsor events and promote the players. The ranking system is crucial for the publicity of top players. The current top players for the men are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer according to an article about ranking at 2011 atp rankings.
The US Open and Wimbledon championships are the most popular international events. Athletes depend on sponsors to support their careers. The players can use their ranked position to generate contracts from advertisers. The WTA listed Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Vera Zvonareva as the top players for the women in an article at wta singles rankings. That information from the WTA and ATP World Tour helps the players with potential business endorsements.
The sport has a rich history. In 1877, the first Lawn Tennis Championship was held at the All England Club. The LTA and Wimbledon have continued to be great inspirations for tennis players. The WTA is connected with events that annually award over $87 million in prize money for women. Money is important because the players need to be encouraged. They will only compete if they can win big prizes. And the spectators like to watch spirited matches between top athletes. The huge ticket sales make the sport a very profitable business.
The ITF was established during 1913 because there was a need for organization within the sport. It is the world governing body of tennis. The administrative offices provide support on an international level. The rules are important and maintain the integrity of the sport. A well run industry can attract more members. That is evident from the more than 700,000 members in the USTA. They cater to the players, media and spectators. The tennis associations help to keep tennis fun for everyone.