New initiative gives players more exposure

The ATP World Tour has launched a new global marketing campaign entitled “Greatness Within” and its goal is to showcase players and tournaments in a powerful new way. With that campaign in mind, it was highly appropriate that two of the game’s greatest players in Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal set the stage for the new season with their epic and historic Australian Open final showdown.

The evergreen Federer secured his 18th Grand Slam title with a dramatic and emotional five-set win over his great rival. Their somewhat unexpected clash produced some of the best TV ratings ever around the world and was a perfect start to the new season.

Part of the new campaign is to obviously recognise all players who compete on the ATP World Tour, but starting at the top was a fitting way to launch the campaign. Nobody can deny the inner greatness of two of the game’s big- gest and brightest stars.

While the Tour has been experiencing an unparalleled golden era with the “Big Four” of Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, the next generation is also starting to step up and is prepared to challenge. This transition year will identify many of the newer names as they do battle with the established players on the Tour.

Early-season results already bear that out and a wide range of younger and older players have already put their names on various trophies in season-opening tournaments. The highly talented and fan favourite Grigor Dimitrov wasted no time in raising his profile becoming the first player in 2017 to claim two singles titles. The Bulgarian won the seasonopening Brisbane International and then followed it up a month later with success at the Garanti Koza Sofia Open.

The dynamic and powerful game of rising star Alexander Zverev has already delivered an early-season win, with victory at the Open Sud de France. Zverev without doubt is one of the brightest #NextGenATP prospects and 2017 could be a big breakthrough year for him. The 19-year-old German currently leads the Emirates ATP Race to Milan, where the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals will be held in November, featuring only the best 21-and-under players in the world.

American tennis was given a boost with wins for Ryan Harrison (at the Memphis Open), Jack Sock (at the ASB Classic in New Zealand) and Sam Querrey with a win over Nadal at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament in Acapulco.

Gilles Muller broke through for his first ATP World Tour title at the Sydney International while Roberto Bautista Agut, Victor Estrella Burgos, Alexander Dolgopolov, and Pablo Cuevas also tasted early success.

The established stars of the Tour were not to be outdone either, with Djokovic winning at the Qatar Open, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga coming out on top at the ABN AMRO World Tennis International in Rotterdam and Murray securing his first win of the year at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Djokovic was also in the headlines for another good reason as well, with his Novak Djokovic Foundation selected among nine recipients in the ATP ACES for Charity for 2017. Grants of $15 000 have been awarded to the individual charitable causes nominated by ATP World Tour players, tournaments and alumni. Eight of those grants will benefit the youth through various programmes worldwide.

The other recipients for 2017 are Jonas Bjorkman (The Zelmerlow & Bjorkman Foundation), Pablo Cuevas (The Corazoncitos Foundation and Fundacion Tennis Uruguay), Jamie Murray (Children Change Columbia), Jean-Julien Rojer (The Greater Curacao Tennis Patrons Foundation), European Open Antwerp (SOS Children’s Villages), China Open Beijing (The Beijing Golden Wings Art Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children), the Rio Open presented by Claro (four social projects including Tenis Para Todos) and Apia International Sydney (CSJ leMoNaiD).

As the Tour makes its way over to the United States for two of the biggest tournaments of the year at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, followed by the Miami Open, we hope you enjoy the “March Masters” over the next month.

Kermode is the ATP’s executive chairman and president. Don’t miss his exclusive column in Saturday Citizen.