d At Boston University’s Agganis Arena, April 30 - May 4
BOSTON (February 7, 2008) – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced that tournament tennis will return to Boston with the third annual Champions Cup Boston. Fourteen–time major champion Pete Sampras, seven–time major champion John McEnroe and four-time major champion Jim Courier will join five other tennis champions as they vie for the title and $150,000 in prize money at Agganis Arena April 30–May 4, 2008. Sampras will defend his Champions Cup title where, one year ago, he came out of retirement to defeat Todd Martin in a hotly contested final where he saved three match points. McEnroe finished in third place.
Boston is the third tournament on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, a collection of men’s tennis events in the United States and abroad featuring some of the greatest names in the sport over the age of 30. Additional players will be announced at a later date.
Tickets for Champions Cup Boston start at just $15 and are available now at ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or by calling (617) 931-2000.
Courier, a two-time French and Australian Open champion, made the announcement today at Agganis Arena along with Larry Greenberg, Board Chair of Tenacity, the benefiting charity of the Boston event. At the announcement, Courier squared off against Tenacity tennis students in spirited games of mini and table tennis.
“We are thrilled to bring championship tennis back to Boston,” said Courier, Co-Founder of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “Boston fans are among the most passionate supporters that we meet on the tour. I hope this is the year that I fight through the tough competition and take home the title.”
Sampras, 36, established himself as arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, winning a men’s record 14 major singles titles – seven Wimbledon titles (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000), five U.S. Open titles (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2002) and two Australian Open titles (1994, 1999). He won 64 career ATP singles titles and was ranked No. 1 in the world for 286 weeks, including a record six-year stretch as year-end No. 1 from 1993 to 1998. In addition, Sampras helped the United States to Davis Cup titles in 1992 and 1995. Sampras finished No. 3 in the 2007 Stanford Champions Rankings with 2,400 points.
McEnroe, 48, won seven major singles titles during his illustrious career (four U.S. Open and three Wimbledon titles) and posted a historic result on the ATP Tour in 2006, winning his 78th career doubles title, pairing with Jonas Bjorkman to win the title in San Jose, Calif. McEnroe finished No. 5 in the 2007 Stanford Champions Rankings earning 1,700 points
Courier, 37, spent four years in the world Top 10 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995) and was named the ATP Player of the Year in 1992. During his 13-year ATP career, Courier won 23 singles titles, including two French Open and two Australian Open titles. Courier finished No. 2 in the 2007 Stanford Champions Rankings earning 2,450 points.
All Outback Champions Series events feature eight-man round-robin match formats with the winner of each four-player division meeting in the title match, while second place finishers in each division meet in the third place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as
Champions Series points that determine the Stanford Champions Rankings. In 2008, the year-end No. 1 in the Stanford Champions Rankings will earn a $100,000 cash bonus. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have either reached a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team.
“Champions Cup Boston has become a staple on the Boston sports calendar, drawing enthusiastic fans and sold-out crowds,” said Jon Venison, Co-Founder of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series.“ The return of Sampras, McEnroe and Courier will provide even more exciting tennis action as these three amazing talents join the rest of our incredible field and face-off in round-robin play.”
Tenacity is one of the premier youth development programs in the City of Boston offering both after-school and summer programming that combines tennis, literacy and life skills to help youth develop the skills and self-confidence they need to succeed in life. Tenacity’s After-School Excellence Program currently partners with eight middle schools in Boston to provide intensive after-school services for 180 students. The Summer Tennis & Reading Program operates at 28 neighborhood sites throughout the city and more than 3,600 Boston youth participate.
“Tenacity benefits greatly from its partnership with Champions Cup Boston,” said Ned Eames, President and Founder of Tenacity. “Having pros like Jim Courier as a champion for our cause gives Tenacity students a glimpse of what they can achieve. We look forward to yet another successful tournament.”
Champions Cup Boston is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse, Stanford Financial Group, Staples, the Parthenon Group, ASG, Talon Air, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Taj Hotel, NESN, The Boston Globe, Boston.com, Boston Common Magazine, WBMX-FM and WODS-FM.
The 2008 Outback Champions Series Schedule
The Oliver Group Champions Cup
Naples, Fla.: March 12-16
Champions Cup Boston
Boston, Mass.: April 30-May 4
The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: April 16-20
International Tennis Hall of Fame Champions Cup
Newport, R.I.: August 13-17
The Championships at The Palisades
Charlotte, N.C.: September 24-28
Stanford Championships
Dallas, Texas: October 22-26
Cancer Treatment Centers of America Championships at Surprise, AZ
Surprise, Ariz.: November 5-9
Emirates NBD The Legends “Rock” Dubai
Dubai, UAE: November 18-22
…
ng when Connors and McEnroe were dominating the sport, and found a way to carve out a spot for himself at the top. He went on to win 8 majors and got the number 1 ranking. Murray has to contend with a crowd at the top, but one day Roger will retire and Rafa will fade. Murray needs to make some room for himself at the top before others below him catch up with him.…
The coaches are very negative and do not want any parental involvement, even if the parent is /was the coach. I saw Mr. McEnroe 2 times in a year and a half. The directors are totally disconnected and the whole culture is totally political. Not the best players get the most opportunities but the ones that "agree" and suck up to the coaches. Most of the coaches have no development experience (i.e. Eric Nunez) and other coaches have anticuated methods (i.e. Andy Brandi)…
Championship’s final between Borg and McEnroe.
I am also looking for the oldest tennis fan who has memories of visiting the Wimbledon Championships when they were younger?
If either of these are you please email me at Jamie.broome@imgworld.com
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Added by Wimbledon Mem at 11:22am on January 24, 2011
a little spoiled here. We play pretty much every day. So what is it that you do for work? Johnny McEnroe what definitely my favorite growing up. What a nut job he is though huh??? To think everyone should worship the ground he walks on. Anyhow see you when you get here and have a nice flight.
Later Nate,
Scotty B.…
edia eye on her already? Maybe she could change her mind and want something else in her life. She doesn't know what there is in life outside of tennis. That's a little sad right there. Point is, she doesn't have to go through becoming pro in this way. Let her become more well rounded as Mac would want, have a life outside of tennis. Then she can decide after four years to make or break for a tennis career. …
Added by Tim Prapong at 9:49am on December 10, 2012
s, to me, unexpected. I didn’t know that Lendl wanted to coach. He could bring something to the table, without a doubt. Lendl didn’t win a major until he was 24 and guess what? Murray is 24 right now. So that could provide something worthwhile for Murray. I’m going to be paying attention to see how it works out."
from tennis.com…
Added by Tim Prapong at 1:18pm on January 11, 2012
. He is looking to draw from well-rounded young people in the Tri-state area, who will go to school regularly and then come and train in both tennis and conditioning at the Academy with McEnroe and his staff. It won't be tennis 24/7; it will be balanced, the same way McEnroe said he learned the game.
"I'm living proof of someone who can live 'a normal life,' go to school and play other sports, and succeed in tennis."
"The aim is to have an academy at Randall's Island along lines of the Academy I grew up with: my brothers were there, Vitas Gerulaitis, Peter Fleming. I don't know of a player from this area who has made it in the last 25 years."
On why it has been difficult to recruit elite tennis players in the NYC area:
"I think people follow what was successful in the past. They are influenced rather easily; they think you need to live someplace like Bollettieri, leave your parents at age six or eight. We're looking to provide a different option, similar to what I had at Port Washington."
On the role of education at tennis academies:
"I would encourage kids to remain in school. I expect some individuals will talk about home schooling, and we will do our best to make sure they succeed if they don't make it to the level they or their parents believe they would in tennis."
"I'm living proof of someone who went to school in Manhattan, and even went to a year of college, which would be sacrilegious at this time. But look at a guy like Isner, an example of someone who matured later, he spent all four years of college eligibility, he's playing his best, coming into his own at a later age. Of course, not everyone will be 6'9 but he's exactly the type that I would like to target, enjoys success and in a better position to handle it emotionally."
On the JMTA as competition to USTA and its programs:
"It would appear on paper that we are competing, but I would say that according to the charter of the USTA, it is to help tennis in as many ways possible and to provide grants for people in all different types of situations, so as far as I'm concerned, they should be helping us."On whether the opening of the JMTA is a criticism of how the USTA has developed tennis players:
"I hope to provide a type of inspiration for young kids. Maybe I'm biased, but when I came into the sport in the '70s and '80s, it seemed like a great time for the sport. More kids are playing now, at least; we need to get them to continue to play. The USTA makes an obscene amount of money for one tournament. They have a $150 million portfolio; I'm not sure what they are supposed to be doing with that money. "…
Added by Tim Prapong at 10:12am on December 10, 2012