Loyalty a big factor

THE return of Jack Sock to next month’s ASB Classic shows that there is still a place for loyalty in professional sport.

The 25-year-old Sock is the defending champion of the Classic and up to No 8 in the world rankings.

That’s the point where players start thinking about skipping tournaments the week before the Australian Open and choose to train in Melbourne instead.

But Sock is bucking that trend and will be back in Auckland for the second week in January, looking to make it three finals in a row at the Classic.

Appearance fees play a part in any decision where a top player goes, but for Sock so too does loyalty and the fact that tournament director Karl Budge gave him a wildcard when he was outside the top 100 as a 21-year-old in 2014.

‘‘I have great memories of playing in Auckland,’’ Sock said.

‘‘They were kind enough to give me a wildcard years ago when I was starting on tour, so I always feel Auckland is a special place for me.

‘‘The centre court there is a blast to play on, the crowd is always enthusiastic and they’re into the matches, so it’s a fun tournament to play.’’

Budge says it’s been a policy of his to identify the best young players and bring them to Auckland with wildcards, hoping to be rewarded later in the player’s career.

‘‘What I’m most proud of during my time here is our track record of who we’ve brought through,’’ Budge said.

‘‘We supported Jelena Ostapenko out of nowhere and we did the same with Ana Konjuh.

‘‘Jack has obviously gone very well for us.

‘‘We had Dominic Thiem a couple of years ago and while we haven’t seen him back, it’s something he always remembers and it might be the difference in getting him, if one year he’s choosing between us and Sydney.

‘‘Maybe he does pick us because we looked after him all those years ago.’’

Sock claimed his place among the tennis elite this year.

As well as winning in Auckland, he also took the title at Delray Beach and most significantly won the Paris