Adam Helfant Leads ATP World Tour
Adam Helfant, 44, a former Nike global sports marketing vice president, is not the "tennis insider" or European that many expected to be chosen as the new head of the ATP World Tour. Helfant, who joined the ATP World Tour just prior to the 2009 Australian Open, is now based in London. Helfant, who worked at the NHL and then Nike for many years leaving in 2007, does have a strong background in professional sports and seems to have the
interpersonal skills and developing relationships with the top players which will be critical to his success. There are many major issues facing professional tennis including a challenging economic climate making it even more difficult to secure major sponsors for the Tour and its tournaments. The tournament calendar and scheduling remain issues, especially for the top players. Helfant met Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic among others during the interview process in December, 2008. In fact, Helfant reportedly brought a notepad and pen to his dinner with Andy Roddick during the 2009 Australian Open. In his corporate marketing role with Nike, Helfant negotiated with major sponsors and sports leagues. This experience will be valuable as the ATP seeks a new major Tour sponsor to replace Mercedes-Benz, as well as other sponsors in the years ahead. At the same time, the tennis world has dealt with political issues intruding on professional tennis, i.e. visas for Israeli tennis players scheduled to compete in tournaments in Dubai. Helfant, a Harvard-trained lawyer, will utilize his legal negotiation skills as he navigates the always political challenges between the various organizations and interested parties in professional tennis. This will be one of Helfant's greatest challenges as he endeavors to affect changes to the men's game. We wish him luck!
|
