TENNIS.com's Ed McGrogan noted Prince has a "new tennis shop" in Wimbledon Village. Prince Global Sports CEO Mike Ballardie said, "We started thinking about it at the back end of last year. Right time, right place. If it’s successful for us, I think it’s something we could look at extending to the other Grand Slams." When Wimbledon ends on Sunday, it will be "business as usual" at the store, "with racquets, shoes, apparel, and other tennis gear available" (TENNIS.com, 7/1).
OPEN INSURANCE: The USTA announced Esurance has extended its sponsorship of the U.S. Open. The company has sponsored the U.S. Open since '10 and will continue as the official car insurance sponsor of the event through '15. The deal features increased digital activation, as Esurance will be one of three sponsors of the "U.S. Open Social Wall" at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as well as presenting sponsor of the U.S. Open iPad app. It also will sponsor six Emirates airline U.S. Open Series events (USTA/Esurance).
RAG TRADE ANDY: TENNIS.com's Jon Levey reported retired player Andy Roddick has joined Calif.-based apparel company TravisMathew "as investor and brand ambassador." The label "made its reputation in the golf world," and has been "expanding into lifestyle wear and accessories and sees aligning with Roddick as a further step in that direction." Roddick joins player James Blake in repping the brand (TENNIS.com, 7/2).
