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Rogers Cup Events Get Stronger and Go Virtually Combined in 2011 

August 31, 2007 - Tennis Canada announced Friday, in partnership with the ATP, the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit, that the Rogers Cup events have been awarded “1000” status for the new-look 2009 ATP Tour. Joining Canada will be Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Madrid, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Paris and Monte Carlo.

As a top-level event, the Rogers Cup will attract a mandatory player field, similar to 2007 when each of the top 23 players on tour competed in Montreal. The commitment will also be backed by new rules and sanctions that include suspensions for missed mandatory tournaments.

Additionally, six of the nine 1000-level tournaments, starting in 2011, will be combined. The 1000-level status replaces the current Masters Series title. Canada will have the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA tour tournaments running the same week, virtually combined in Toronto and Montreal. Cincinnati and Rome will become combined ATP and WTA events.
            “Hosting a same week, virtually combined event will ensure that Canada retains a priority week on the calendar and will garner stronger television audiences both domestically and internationally for our events,” expressed Michael S. Downey, president and chief executive officer, Tennis Canada. “Most importantly, Canada has retained the successful model of rotating ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour events between Montreal and Toronto. Both tours respect the strength and uniqueness of our rotating model which has resulted in two of the largest and most successful single-week tournaments in the world.”

The announcement comes as the women’s game is in the midst of significantly changing its landscape. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Roadmap 2009 will improve player turnout, add player suspensions for missed events, the creation of a luxury tax, higher prize money and less tournaments on the calendar.
            “By creating more combined events we are taking the sport to a new level, said Etienne de Villiers, Executive Chairman of the ATP. “I believe we now have a standard of top tier event that the sport, its players, its sponsors and above all its fans truly deserve.”
           
The new look calendar, with revised scheduling and mini swings running into each Grand Slam
and the ATP Tour Finals, will ensure the season is more understandable for fans and media, more appealing for sponsors and healthier for players. The 2009 calendar will be backed by a record multi million dollar global marketing and promotional spend. The final calendar will be announced in Shanghai at the Tennis Masters Cup. The Tour will conclude in November 2009 at the new look ATP Tour Finals, to be held at the iconic O2 Arena in London.

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