Tennis development history and ATP’s Clifford Drysdale

South African players in the 1970s could not participate in many global sporting events. Sports visits to South Africa required permits had procedures. In this atmosphere, Clifford Drysdale, a tennis player evolved in South Africa. In the amateurism of the 1970s players were representatives of nations. ATP came to being in this backdrop and eliminated the player suppression. ATP is Association of Tennis Professionals.

Origin of ATP

The three original personalities of ATP are Donald Dell, Jack Kramer and Clifford Drysdale. In the first years of ATP, Drysdale was the President. Donald Dell was a US attorney formulated many of the needed global legal need for sport professionalism. Dell, also a sports commentator, used his position and promoted the concept. Jack Kramer was the dominant tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s. Later a well-known commentator and journalist. Kramer was born in 1921, being very successful player Wilson company carried his model through three decades into the 1970s. They were wooden racquets.

Professionalism removed the grip nations had on players. A grip that made many sports persons redundant and went into financial destitute in their own lifetime.

ATP’s Anchor

Drysdale was a remarkable man, worked towards his freedom and became American citizen. He went to set up American Tennis Academy pioneering development of professional players outside the national development path. His influence led Dennis Van der Meer Academy, a South African, Vic

Braden and Bolliteri and many other successful academies.

This brought about the boom of American tennis. Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, the William sisters and many more in USA and Russians Maria Sharapova and string of other eastern European players. An ‘open’ training and development platform came to being, 100 years after Victorian start of tennis.

Competitive base

Competition is a critical need for player development. An independent academy without identity is ideal to make strong pools of competition players. ATP’s existence removed much of the restrictions, has created the ideal for sports development and exhibition. Behind the scene, Drysdale Donald Dell and Jack Kramer worked towards ATP and WTA success for many years. Kramer passed away in 2009 at around 90 years of age.

The development lesson

Player span of life is limited. Development to peak should be as fast as possible. Players are now winning Grand Slam titles in their teens. Along with this development platform, competitions must be independent. Like that of ATP and WTA and futuristic not a historic.

The world is changing and world needs an economy with fresh impetus in sports too, nationally and globally. A sportsperson has life giving needs during competition years and after the competitive life span, which is longer than the competitive phase. Professionalism can provide these.

Player development

The need right now is the spirit of freedom ATP providing to a player, to be able to evolve without being weighed down. In many ways, national ranking and national team are a deterrent to individual development in a game like tennis. A player losing independence, identity and liberty are deterrents. Developed nations are successful eliminating these and are the leading tennis nations.

Coaching team

There was a time many players had one coach. Now many coaches are working for one player. In their victory speech players talk about ‘my team’. The team even take the curtain call at the end when their player wins. Like what Drydale, Dell and Kramer did for ATP, we need a lead to our development approach.

Parental knowledge

Academies are a commercial venture. Parents must know and learn to use them. Academies using players is a ‘nowin’ situation for the players. At high end, ATP and WTA is assisting many to come into the ‘win-win’ situation.

With Drysdale, Dell and Kramer equation, so many South Africans excelled in global tennis. Kevin Anderson, Wayne Ferreira, Kevin Curren, Frew McMillian and of course Clifford Drysdale. His use of double-handed backhand took the rackets off some of the mightiest players in Grand Slams. Drysdale’s Singles and Doubles record with Frew McMillian will place him in the hall of fame.

Indian Wells -- Palm Spring USA

This event, was organised, groomed and tailored over three decades by Charles Pascrell, now considered the fifth Grand Slam, will conclude today. A compulsory event for those in the first 128 of the professional rankings. For all purposes, this signals the spring/summer tennis season of 2024. Events will remain in America’s sunny belt and move into the Europe’s sand court season, peaking in the French Open in Paris. Success of the season often decides the popularity of global tennis.

--George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA and ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880-