Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
Introduction
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is an organization that represents the most
successful female tennis players around the globe. There are currently over 2500 players from 92
countries belong to the association who participate in 54 events that the WTA sponsors.
The WTA has an extensive rulebook that includes the Code of Conduct and Standards
that the players are required to follow in order to be a member of the association. Among many
other rules, this document includes media guidelines and responsibilities that the player must
follow regarding interaction with the press (WTA, 2013).
Serena Williams was recently interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine and will be
featured in an article that will be published in their July 2013 issue. The article’s focus was on
how Williams is dominating the sport of women’s tennis and follows her through a typical day
for her. During the interview, she shared her opinion about a high-profile rape case with the
writer (Rodrick, S., 2013). In an interview published on June 22, 2013, Maria Sharapova,
another famous female tennis player, criticized Williams’ remarks about the case.
Both
Williams and Sharapova are members of the WTA.
First, we will provide a strategic analysis of the WTA and what guidelines their players
are to follow in regards to media, the problems that the association is facing, and then we will
provide our solutions and recommendations for this problem.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths of the WTA are its high market share, partnership with the Association of
Tennis Professionals (ATP), brand awareness, and athlete assets. The Women’s Tennis
Association is the only professional tennis association that exclusively serves women. Over the
past 40 years, the association has developed a name for itself by hosting a multitude of tennis
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
tournaments and tours, and acquiring the best female tennis talent from around the world.
Partnering with the ATP provides equality in the tennis world, creating an umbrella association
that includes both female and male tennis professionals. The association has perfected the
exchange between membership and benefits for their players, while benefitting in more ways
than one. The most famous female tennis players in the world request membership to the WTA,
which includes benefits and rules and regulations that are set forth to enhance the players’ career.
Although attractive to members, the WTA also greatly benefits by the natural publicity that these
athletes obtain, creating an exchange that will help the association continue to be the market
leader in women’s tennis for years to come.
A weakness of the association is caused by the WTA’s lack of rules and regulations for
their members’ off-court appearances. Although the WTA has an extensive rulebook for their
players to follow, the lax and non-existent code of conduct for off-court appearances has caused
some problems between members of the group in respect to media outbursts. Tiffs between
female athletes have challenged the cohesiveness of the association.
A large opportunity for the association is to build brand loyalty and promote tennis in the
younger generation. In order to increase young people’s interest in tennis and to fight what
seems like the demise of the sport, sponsoring tournaments and creating campaigns that are
targeted towards young girls could that inspire them to be interested in the sport. This could
create a new generation of female athletes that have the potential to become professional athletes
and belong to the association in the coming years.
A large threat facing the WTA is the decline of interest in tennis as a professional sport,
especially in the United States. 2011 marked the first year that the U.S. did not have a player
rank in the top 10 in singles in the world. This was largely due to Serena Williams’ health
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
problems, as she is currently ranked number one in the world for women’s singles (Clarey C.,
2011). The deteriorating interest in tennis among young people in this country and across the
world creates a problem for the WTA as well as other professional tennis associations, especially
as their current athletes age toward retirement.
Problem Identification
The main marketing problem that the Women’s Tennis Association is facing is the lack
of camaraderie among their athletes. This is shown first hand in the remarks that both Williams
and Sharapova have made towards each other in the media. The WTA has many rules and
regulations regarding conduct of their athletes on the court, but the lack of standards off-court
have made this problem prevalent. The competitive edge between players will always frequent
any sport, but it seems that tennis is among the sports that have the most publicized feuds. Maria
Sharapova, specifically, has had her fair share of media coverage over her remarks about fellow
female tennis professionals. In 2011, it was reported that Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic have
engaged in long-lived hostility towards one another stemming from their childhood tennis days.
Both women were taught at the same training facility in Florida (“Tennis Stars”, 2011).
The quarrels between tennis players are not limited to the female athletes. The men in
the sport have also had their fair share of public disagreements. Well known tennis stars such as
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Michael Llodra, and Andy Murray are among some of the male
tennis professionals who have slammed each other in the media, showing that the once
gentlemanly aurora that the sport of tennis was known for may be declining just as steadily as the
public’s interest.
These publicized problems do not only hurt the athletes’ image, but they also create
negative publicity for their professional associations. Positive role models are something that
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
will help rebuild the sport of tennis and the interest among young people, which is why it is
important to focus on the sport itself, rather than the competitive issues of its athletes.
Formulate the Alternative Courses of Action
There are a plethora of alternative courses of action that could have taken place in this
situation. The most obvious are those of the players and their remarks. The remarks made more
than likely stem from the attitudes of the respective players. Both Sharapova and Williams may
have been better served (no pun intended) with better attitudes towards each other. Despite a
reported apology from Serena to Maria, there were quite a few personal attacks made by both
players. One particular comment made by Williams about Sharapova’s current love interest
gives outsiders insight as to what may be fueling the “beef” between these two players.
Sharapova is dating a fellow tennis player who is rumored to be Williams’ former boyfriend
(Rothenberg, 2013). Had the conversations been more discrete and ended earlier, some of the
bad press may have been avoided. These ladies may want to take a moment and re-evaluate the
situation and the consequences of their words. If this continues, it could snowball into a much
bigger problem.
In addition to the players’ obligation to be more mindful of their speech, it is important to
take into account the organizations that these professional athletes represent and their
responsibility to set rules and expectations. An intervention by the Women’s Tennis Association
could have resulted in another alternate course of action for this incident. The WTA’s official
website gives a link to the complete list of rules for participants (WTA, 2013). The complete list
of rules goes into detail about expectations of the players, ranging from frequency in public
appearances to clothing and attire on the court. Unless overlooked, there is no mention of
behavior or expectations of players while off the court, with the exception of how often they
need to appear at signings, photo shoots, etc. (Women’s Tennis Association 2013 Rulebook).
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
Since the players are representatives of the organization, would it not be reasonable for the WTA
to also set guidelines for conduct and speech (especially directed towards fellow players or the
league), even if it occurs outside of the court?
Interestingly enough, the WTA does provide player development opportunities, such as
media training, where “players learn how to be prepared, professional and self-expressive in
public speaking opportunities” (Player Development, 2013). Although it appears that the WTA
does take the initiative to assist players with their public appearance and speaking, why do they
not expect the players to uphold a certain level of decorum? Had the WTA created rules or set
expectations for how the players should speak of each other and the organization, and also
enforced these rules through penalties for breaking them, it’s possible that incidences like that
between Sharapova and Williams would be far less likely to occur. Penalizing the players for the
aforementioned situation may not be the suitable solution, but such acts should at least be
acknowledged and frowned upon by the organization.
Although somewhat of a different yet similar situation is that of John Rocker, Braves
pitcher who was suspended and fined for his hateful public comments directed towards various
groups of people. His suspension and fine were reduced considerably after arbitration, and
public apologies were necessary (Associated Press, 2000). While Rocker’s comments were of a
more serious and offensive nature, this does not mean that Sharapova or Williams should be not
be penalized or at least reprimanded.
Analyze and Record the Current External Situation
Recent studies show that the United States consists of approximately 25 million people
that play tennis. This estimate was determined by the companies producing tennis equipment.
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
Unfortunately, despite these numbers, popularity of tennis appears to be on the decline. In fact,
ratings of tennis tournaments have decreased over time, and even well-known events such as
Wimbledon are experiencing all-time lows. The United States Tennis Association has made it a
priority to inspire the youth of America to pursue playing tennis because it realizes that a
significant change is needed in order to increase popularity. Taking this into consideration, the
tennis industry in general and particularly the WTA need to realize the importance of making an
impact on the younger generations in order to guarantee a solid future for US tennis (Potter,
2011).
Children and youth typically look up to professional sports figures as role models and for
inspiration. With the significant number of professional athletes in the sports industry and the
wide variety of sports to choose from, the WTA should seriously consider whether or not the off
the court behavior of their players will have a negative impact on their sport and event
popularity. A poor reputation can be considerably damaging, and unfavorable press is not
something that any industry, organization or company wants to attract. Young minds can be
very impressionable, and parents understand this as they reinforce or promote particular
celebrities, sports figures, brands, etc. to their children. Not just children and parents, but
spectators of all ages may be disappointed or disgruntled with the unnecessary remarks and
actions of sports figures.
Both Williams’ comments as well as Sharapova’s may reflect
negatively on both the players as well as the WTA. What any customer/spectator needs are
strong athletes that can perform on the court and be respectable citizens off the court.
Recommendations and Suggestions
People are entitled to their opinion(s), and in the case of the controversy between Serena
Williams and Maria Sharapova, there are numerous views and differing sides that can be taken.
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
Not only was Serena’s comment about the sexual assault considered questionable, but
Sharapova’s reaction to her statement could also be deemed debatable. Ultimately, Williams did
extend apologies to everyone affected by her statements, from the victim of the sexual violence
to Maria Sharapova (Rothenberg, 2013). Though it is uncertain as to whether these apologies
were requested or required, it was definitely a courteous and (if not required) thoughtful gesture.
Sharapova’s remarks to Williams were also an issue of concern, and from the information
collected, it appears that there was no apology issued and no resolution to the issue. Maria
overstepped her boundaries as a fellow tennis player, and the nature of her statements came
across more as a personal attack rather than a friendly suggestion. As mentioned previously in
the case, it is possible that the conflict between the two extends to more than just what occurs on
the court, so this may be a reflection of that tension.
It is recommended that Sharapova extend a similar apology to Williams, and if it was a
situation in which her words were misunderstood or misconstrued, then she needs to clarify what
exactly she meant by her comments. Regardless of how adamant she is about her stance, it is
important that she acts professionally and respectfully towards others and especially her fellow
competitors. Not only can the wrong publicity affect her own career, but it can also negatively
impact the organization she represents. The Women’s Tennis Association must realize that such
adversity can have long lasting effects on morale within the organization and image from outside
of it.
With that being said, another recommendation would be for the WTA to develop a policy
or rules that would determine the appropriate procedures for handling future similar situations.
A lack of action altogether could result in the WTA giving the wrong impression to the public.
In fact, it could possibly create the image that it is apathetic to such incidents. Although this
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
situation may have not warranted serious discipline (if any), it should have been addressed. The
tennis industry is one of many professional sports groups, and it is imperative that they do
everything they can to remain competitive. Although it may not be something that is mandatory
to implement, it is recommended that a development program to create camaraderie and positive
vibes between athletes in the WTA be created. Perhaps such a program could be a proactive
approach, instead of just being a reactive way of handling on court and off court tension.
Conclusion
The world of professional sports is both highly competitive and very popular amongst
people in the United States and the throughout the world. While it is unfortunate that the
incident between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams took place, it is a prime example of the
off the court behavior that frequently occurs in this thriving industry. Hopefully the WTA will
recognize that it should intervene in situations such as this in order to discourage such behavior
from taking place. Ideally, an organization would take the necessary steps to prevent such
occurrences by creating an environment that encourages strong camaraderie and respect amongst
its competitors. This will not only be beneficial to the players’ reputation, but for that of the
Women’s Tennis Association as well. A solid reputation is imperative in order to remain a key
player in this competitive industry.
Jennifer Leone, Breanne Kelley
References
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Associated Press (2000). “Rocker On”. CNN/Sports Illustrated. Retrieved
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