Outgoing Chief Larry Scott Says WTA Has Never Been More Better
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Scott Reflects On WTA Tenure
Before Leaving For Pac-10 |
Outgoing Sony Ericsson WTA Chair & CEO Larry Scott said that women's tennis "has never been more robust, despite a weak global economy and a widely held perception that the women are lagging behind" the ATP World Tour in entertainment value, according to Douglas Robson of USA TODAY. Scott will leave the WTA next Tuesday to become Pac-10 Commissioner, and he said, "I feel I'm leaving at a great time, when the tour is in the strongest position it's been in." The tour during Scott's tenure "hit a number of financial milestones, including a record" $88M title sponsorship deal with Sony Ericsson through the '10 season. Also, the $86M in prize money this season is up 34% from '08. Scott said that his "proudest achievement from a historical context was helping bring equal prize money to the four majors," as Wimbledon in '07 became the final grand slam to comply. WTAer Maria Sharapova said of Scott, "A lot of the money that we're earning and the sponsors that we have, we definitely attribute to him." Scott said that the WTA "made inroads in gender equality through its partnership with UNESCO and by increasing its foothold in the Middle East and Asia, where it now has an office, a top-tier tournament in Beijing and a development deal with the Chinese government." Robson notes perhaps Scott's "biggest legacy" is the tour's new Roadmap plan, which began this year. Meanwhile, search firm Korn/Ferry is assisting the WTA in search of Scott's replacement, and Scott, who was a member of the search committee, indicated that he "expects his position to be filled in the next few weeks" (USA TODAY, 6/25).
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