The Focus of the USTA
Arlen Kantarian, the outgoing USTA CEO of Professional Tennis, has worked to raise the entertainment value and profile of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Kantarian also led the USTA’s move to invest in professional tennis tournaments in the United States, e.g. Indian Wells and Cincinnati, as well as in the Tennis Channel. As the result, the USTA is now a part owner of a couple pro tennis tournaments and a cable TV network. According
to the USTA’s website, “the USTA’s mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis, which it does through two distinct business units: Professional Tennis, which promotes the growth of the professional sport in the United States and maximizes revenue opportunities to fund the mission, and Community Tennis, which develops and implements grassroots tennis programs throughout the country.” There has been some discussion about whether the focus of the USTA shifted too much towards professional tennis and away from community, grass-roots tennis during Kantarian’s tenure. As the USTA searches for Kantarian’s replacement, the debate will continue regarding finding the balance between both focus and budget related to professional tennis and community tennis.
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