WTA Tour Faced With Quandary Of Promoting Sex Versus Skill

WTA Tour Balancing Skills, Looks Of Players Like Ivanovic In Plotting Future

Some of the best players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour “also happen to be extremely attractive women,” and the Tour is faced with the challenge of how it is “going to deal with that,” according to Steve Murray of TENNIS WEEK. Fans are “all politically correct enough to say we admire these women for their terrific athletic ability. But are we being honest?” Women’s tennis “has grasped the fact that sport is big business and its stars are leveraging their looks and fame with great deals.” There is Ana Ivanovic “in Dolce and Gabana being escorted to a swanky party by Sir Richard Branson. Or glam shots of Daniela Hantuchova in an airline magazine.” Murray wrote WTA Tour Chair & CEO Larry Scott "is under no illusions that looks are important to the future of the sport.” But Scott previously said all sports are "trying to distinguish themselves through their athletes and the glamorous nature of what they do. That’s what sponsors are after.” Murray writes of all women’s pro sports, tennis is the “top rated and its stars are the best known. And it’s no big secret that -- all things being equal -- more glamour equals bigger ratings” (TENNISWEEK.com, 7/17).

COVER GIRL: The August issue of Playboy, which features Sony Ericsson WTA Tour player Ashley Harkleroad on the cover and an eight-page nude pictorial inside, hits newsstands Friday (THE DAILY). When asked about the offer, Harkleroad said, "I wanted to see where it could take me, so I accepted it." Harkleroad, on the reaction from other WTA players: "I think they understand what I was doing; I haven't heard any negative feedback from them" (ESPN.com, 7/14).