CEO looks to future of WTA beyond Williams sisters, Sharapova
PARIS — Sitting in the media café high above Court Philippe Chatrier, WTA CEO Steve Simon characterized his first six months on the job trying to be as politically correct as possible.
“It’s been… interesting,” Simon said with a laugh in an interview with USA TODAY Sports last week at the French Open.
Simon’s first six months on the job could be characterized as trial by fire — wildfire. “Interesting” duly undersells it. Nearly eight months after being named as the WTA’s CEO to replace Stacey Allaster, Simon has faced challenge after challenge in his new role.
Most notably? Maria Sharapova's positive drug test and admission she had been taking meldonium, which came on March 7, but also a tennis betting scandal from January at the Australian Open, a continued debate over equal prize money and the fits and starts that any big organization faces under an executive transition.
“It’s been a busy six months to say the least,” said Simon, who previously served as the tournament director at the successful Indian Wells event, a combined men’s and women’s stop.
“We’re building our infrastructure and building a solid foundation," he said. "This is a great team to work with. We’ve cleaned up a lot of the internal issues and have stabilized ourselves financially; we have a good outlook moving forward.”
Looking forward, however, could mean looking at women’s tennis without its three most marketable stars in the not too distant future: Sharapova and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena.
Sharapova’s career hangs in the balance after her positive test for meldonium in January, the 29-year-old faces a ban of up to four years, though experts say it's more likely she'll get six months to a year. The five-time Grand Slam champion met with a Tennis Anti-Doping Program panel two weeks ago in London, and the decision is expected soon.
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“Clearly we miss any top player when they are not there and Maria is one and we’ve missed her,” Simon said of Sharapova’s absence since the Australian Open. “Unfortunately, sports is an unforgiving world. The world moves on and the next players come who fans are going to embrace. I would love to see her come back and play.”
Venus, 35, and Serena, 34, have made the Rio Olympics a target since the 2012 Games in London (where Serena won singles and they teamed for doubles gold). Though neither sister has uttered a word about retiring, Venus continues to battle the affects of Sjogren’s syndrome, an energy-zapping autoimmune disease. Serena is chasing history: Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles (Serena has 21) and Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24.
Will Serena stop once she’s topped one record? Both records?
Will Venus continue to push her body in ways many thought she couldn’t? It’s something the WTA has to think about, Simon said.
“I hope Venus and Serena and Maria play for another 10 years, but of course they will cringe when they hear that and it probably won’t happen,” Simon said, laughing. “They’re great stars, great ambassadors to our game. There is going to be a day when they don’t play anymore, so we’re looking at how we evolve our tour and our circuit structure so that we’re in the best position to feature and promote the stars that are going to come in after that. Every sport goes through this. The legends of your sport do decide to not compete anymore. We need to be looking at that now.”
What troubles women’s tennis fans is that there has been little consistency in the generation that would replace them. No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska is up-and-down, Victoria Azarenka often injured and Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova riddled by nerves. Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion who beat Serena in the final, lost in the first round in Paris.
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What has long helped drive women’s tennis globally is an American star, though Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens and others continue to face roadblocks in their budding careers. Keys, 21, has steadily made her way up, however slowly.
“Who is going to come in and take over for Serena and Maria and team when their days are done?” Simon asked, rhetorically. “We’re still committed to promoting all of our young players and I want to continue to focus on the great young players that we’re seeing coming up.”
Two weeks ago the tour announced a deal with beIN Sports, which beginning in 2017 will carry WTA matches as the tour’s official broadcaster, including in the U.S. The 10-year deal is worth $25 million to the WTA. It further complicates viewing matches for U.S. fans, however, with ESPN, Tennis Channel and beIN now claiming large but separate pieces of the tennis pie.
Next year the WTA’s digital deal with PERFORM is set to begin. It plans to make available on TV or digitally every singles match played on the WTA, from its four Premier Mandatory events (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing) to 34 International (small-tier) tournaments.
The PERFORM deal, worth $525 million over 10 years, was seen as landmark for the WTA, which has been without a title sponsor since 2011, when Sony Ericsson declined to renew.
Simon sees success — with regard to TV and with sponsors — by producing more tennis that includes its top stars, what he calls a “premium product.”
“Right now, among the Premier WTA events, we only put that product on the court 16 percent of the time,” said Simon, noting that just nine of 57 WTA events are top-level or higher. “If I have the ability to increase that delivery of the top players playing on a more frequent basis, I believe we can grow our audiences.”
But what many in tennis have been calling for is a reduced schedule. Player withdrawals, retirements and injuries are a regular occurrence in women’s tennis. And as Grand Slam tournaments have grown in stature — events which fall under the International Tennis Federation — oftentimes tour events can get short-sided. Simon has made it clear that schedule changes will come in his time, though he is not in a rush.
What tennis has been desperate for is a more aligned voice, as well. Simon said that is what he is working towards with ATP World Tour chief Chris Kermode and Dave Haggerty, also an American, who was recently named the CEO of the ITF.
“Our sport is coming together, that is happening,” said Simon, noting the response to January’s betting scandal. “There are so many issues that we can come together and work on for the betterment of the sport. ... And the [betting allegations] brought us closer. It’s a positive direction and I think you will see more of it moving forward.”
Simon awaits the Sharapova decision with bated breath. Her marketability consistently tops that of any female athlete globally.
“I think Maria deserves a lot of credit for coming forward the way that she did. She showed the integrity she has both as an athlete and as a person,” Simon said. “That being said, no athlete is above the rules, I don’t care who you are. … Whatever that process determines her penalties will be, we will support. I hope when those penalties are served that Maria will come back and play and finish her career the way that I know she would like to finish it.
"To me, it’s an example that tennis is responsible. Anti-doping, unfortunately, is in place for a reason. One of our top athletes tested positive and is going through the process. It reflects to me that things are being done right, and with the right integrity. But it doesn’t make it any easier.”
Having made the move from Southern California to the WTA’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla., Simon’s life hasn’t gotten easier, either. The challenges continue, though he does watch tennis a bit – even if just on the rare occasion.
“I didn’t take the job to sit down and watch tennis,” he said, laughing. “If I’m watching tennis, I’m probably not working, but I do keep my eye on it so I know what’s going on.”
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