ITF Partners With Beach Tennis USA

Joint effort to expand the global development of beach tennis

June 18, 2010 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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Beach Tennis USA (BTUSA), the organization responsible for the sport of beach tennis in North America, has announced a strategic partnership with The International Tennis Federation (ITF), the world governing body of tennis, to expand the global development of the sport of beach tennis. Under the new agreement, BTUSA may propose tournaments for sanction by the ITF as part of the ITF Beach Tennis Tour. All sanctioned tournaments will contribute to the international player ranking system and appear on the ITF’s official tour calendar.

BTUSA, founded by New York City real estate developer Marc Altheim, launched the first pro beach tennis tour in the U.S. in 2005 and has overseen the sport’s steady domestic growth, mostly through grassroots efforts in South Florida, Southern California, Chicago and Long Island, N.Y.

“Beach Tennis USA has done a great job introducing, developing and promoting beach tennis in the U.S. since 2005 and we look forward to combining our knowledge and resources to further grow this exciting and dynamic sport in North America," said Jackie Nesbitt, head of professional circuits at the ITF. "With the ITF Beach Tennis Tour now in its third year we are thrilled to welcome the 2010 US National Championships onto the calendar, which will be one of only three tournaments this year to offer players maximum ranking points towards the ITF Beach Tennis World Ranking."

“We’re very excited to be aligned with the ITF. The success of beach tennis as a truly global pro and recreational sport rests in our ability to unify the many countries and organizations currently playing, and to standardize the rules of play on an international level,” said Marc Altheim, BTUSA’s founder and commissioner. “This partnership with the ITF is one major step in that direction."

For more information, visit www.beachtennisusa.net.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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