BREAKING
NEWS
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Anne
Worcester (second from right) posing with (l-r) Sara Errani, Gov.
Dannel Malloy, and Petra Kvitova at the Connecticut Open in 2012. |
SAN
FRANCISCO—Universal Tennis, the world’s premier tennis platform, today announced
that Anne Worcester, former WTA CEO & Connecticut Open Tournament Director,
has joined the company as president. Worcester will be instrumental in overseeing the growth and
development of UTR worldwide. Beyond her leadership at the organization, her
focus at the outset will be on increasing grassroots efforts to connect
communities to the sport and fostering diverse partnerships within the tennis
ecosystem to build participation on the platform.
“What drew me to Universal Tennis is its digitally savvy approach to make
tennis more affordable, accessible and fun for all players,” said Anne Worcester,
Universal Tennis President. “Level-based play helps to break down some of the
biggest barriers to our sport, so that it’s not about age, gender, where you
play or how much you can afford. UTR makes it easy to find, connect and play
with same level tennis partners, anytime and anywhere. This addresses many of
the challenges I have experienced all my life as a recreational player, a
parent and 35 years on all sides of professional tennis.”
“Anne has an exceptional career in tennis, marked by her commitment to
improving the game for players and serving as a champion for tennis worldwide.
Her dedication to the betterment and growth of the sport is unparalleled,” said
Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman & CEO. “Anne is fully aligned with
UTR’s mission and vision to create more opportunities and open pathways for
players of all levels to grow the game. We are thrilled to have Anne on board.”
Worcester has over 35 years of experience in tennis, working with
players, tournaments, sponsors and governing bodies. She was the first female
CEO of the WTA, becoming the first woman to head any professional sports
organization. Worcester served as the Tournament Director of the Connecticut
Open for 21 years, developing the WTA tournament into one of the world’s best
attended women’s tennis events and a player favorite.
Under Worcester’s leadership, the Connecticut Open was widely recognized
as a leading example of leveraging professional tennis to build community
tennis, especially among inner city youth. In addition, Worcester co-founded
New Haven Youth Tennis & Education (New HYTEs), now in its 15th year, which
has enriched the lives and positively affected the futures of hundreds of
economically disadvantaged inner city youth. Programs include year-round
tennis, education and mentoring programs.
Worcester is a graduate of Duke University. She serves on the boards of
the Center for Hearing & Communication and New Haven Youth Tennis &
Education (New HYTEs) and will transition to the board of Tennis Foundation of
Connecticut. She will be based in Connecticut and New York City.
About
Universal Tennis
The mission of Universal Tennis is to make tennis more affordable,
accessible and fun for all players, regardless of age, gender, and
socioeconomic status. At the core is the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR Powered
by Oracle), the global gold standard for all tennis players which reflects
their current skill level based on actual performance. The company’s UTR
Engagement Platform is built on the rating and provides tools and technology
for tennis organizers to run engaging, open level-based events and offers
players the ability to connect and discover events, players, coaches, clubs and
tournaments worldwide. Visit MyUTR.com
to learn more.
—Staff Reports
@AnneWorcester @WTA #ctopentennis
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