OrangeCoach Founder Sven Groeneveld Shares His Opinion On Tennis Balls
Written by: Sven Groeneveld on 21st August 2017
“The ball debate is not a problem but an opportunity! ”
Let me ask you one simple question.
Out of the entire pool of sponsors for either Grand-slam or Tour tournaments what is the % of income generated by ball sponsors?
Let me answer that! This can not be more than 10%
Creating a tennis ball tour collective!
Let the ball industry fight it out to be sole main sponsor for the balls on tour. This most likely will distribute some of the money over all of the tournaments. In addition since the slams are now United they should be able to make the same agreement.
However a far more prominent category could be approached in alternative industries or brands to place their logo on the ball for each event or tour.
Can you imagine if in baseball they would switch between balls during the season. Considering the changes in weight pressure and thickness of felt.
We in tennis have enough variables to worry about during the year. Such changes as surfaces: grass, clay, hardcourt fast, slow etc. Whether it is indoor (often carpet)or outdoor. The temperature – heat, cold, rain, dry, humid all factors that have an additional impact on the play-ability of the ball.
So do you feel that a ball must have such a large impact on our players for such a small return as to 10% of total pool of income.
Tennis has to make this immediate change and I believe there are no contracts longer than 5 years with any sponsor (unless I am naive)
The ball debate is not a problem but an opportunity!
Thank you for reading
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