On November 5^th, UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre signed a multi-year endorsement deal with athletic apparel powerhouse Under Armour. St-Pierre, known by his fans as GSP, is one of the UFC’s most talented and marketable fighters and will be featured in a national campaign for the industry giant. Outfitted in Under Armour’s ColdGear performance apparel designed to protect athletes in cold temperatures, St. Pierre will serve as the poster boy for mainstream MMA. Beginning in the spring of 2010, St-Pierre will also become the face of Under Armour’s long-time top-selling BoxerJock and BoxerBrief underwear line and will become one of the primary figures for Under Armour’s Recharge suit, a suit designed to re-energize your body, promote muscle repair, and reduce swelling following a workout.

This endorsement is the second huge signing for St. Pierre, who signed with Gatorade last year shortly after being the first MMA fighter to sign with CAA Sports. It marks continued growth for the sport of MMA and puts a mixed martial artist in the conversation with figures from other mainstream sports such as professional football, baseball, and basketball. “Not only is Georges one of the biggest stars in one of the fastest growing sports in the world, but his dedication to training and making himself the best at what he does aligns perfectly with our Brand’s mission to make all athletes better,” stated Steve Battista, Under Armour Senior Vice President. “When we found out that he was a fan of ours, we jumped on the opportunity to bring him into the Under Armour family.”

I, for one, love the idea of MMA getting its due in the world of mainstream advertising. Very few athletes train as hard as some of the better fighters such as St. Pierre and there is a lot of money to be made by associating with a marketable fighter and growing your demographic. The sport of mixed martial arts is growing rapidly with gyms and training facilities opening up left and right, so it makes sense and is very smart for a brand such as Under Armour to seize the opportunity to be associated with it before other brands like Nike or Adidas catch on. NFL players such as Shawn Merriman and Calvin Pace have looked to MMA recently for their personal training and if the trend continues, the “MMA workout” could be the next big thing with Under Armour at the helm.

The UFC has recently debuted their new UFC Gym division to try and take advantage of the market for combat fitness, while MMA apparel leader Tapout has also just started to produce health and fitness performance supplements after years of just selling clothing and fight gear. This recent turn to fitness and performance has opened up endless possibilities for MMA in the multi-billion dollar fitness industry and could possibly lead to growth of the sport as a whole.

It will be interesting to see how things develop in the next three years in regards to MMA as a form of major brand advertising. Will large companies such as Under Armour just use fighters for print advertising, or will they get into the expensive business of sponsoring the fighters for their training and on their fight nights or become major sponsors for the UFC as a whole? Bud Light and Harley Davidson were some of the first big name sponsors to come on in recent year,s but to have a company such as Under Armour, or one day Nike, associated with the sport could give it some validation in the eyes of the mainstream sports fan.

I am interested in hearing what you guys think and how you perceive MMA on this site, so leave comments and hopefully we can spark a discussion.

Michael Goldman: Can you briefly discuss your role as Manager of Sports Marketing and your background that led to you to joining Volkswagen?

Ben Freidson: My role is to identify potential sports sponsorships that align well with our marketing and communications strategy. Once we enter into an agreement, our emphasis is to try and leverage the sponsorship at all levels of the organization.

My background is in Business and Sports Management. At one time I worked for D.C. United in their corporate sponsorships division. More recently, I was working for a sponsorship activation agency, Cenergy Communications. At Cenergy, I worked with both corporations like Mentholatum’s OXY and Dial’s Right Guard Xtreme on their sponsorships of the Dew Action Sports Tour as well as with professional teams with the Cleveland Cavaliers/Lake Erie Monsters and the Buffalo Bills.

Michael Goldman: Volkswagen of America Inc. recently announced the renewal of their partnership with Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing after a successful first year.  What aspects of the partnership’s initial year pushed Volkswagen to seek a multi-year renewal?

Ben Freidson: Throughout the brand, we are focusing on creating conversations with new, broader and more diverse audiences.  Major League Soccer has strong relationships with loyal soccer fans that are aware of the Volkswagen brand and also are familiar with our global commitment to the sport.  This partnership provides our team with a multi-platform vehicle to engage these important US consumers in a whole new way. Our experiential programs and webisode series for last year’s Road to MLS Cup was positively received by fans and generated good online awareness.  We want to do more to engage the fans.

Michael Goldman: Describe the national grassroots programming that Volkswagen plans to develop with MLS and SUM.

Ben Freidson: I can’t get into the specifics of our new grassroots initiatives for the upcoming season quite yet, but I can tell you that we will look to leverage Volkswagen and Major League Soccer assets to showcase the value of our brand in a meaningful way to consumers. Our biggest need is to get consumers more familiar with our product offerings. We have several vehicles that are a perfect fit for the active soccer family and we launched 5 new vehicles last year including the Routan, Tiguan and CC. Event marketing is a great way for us to educate consumers and have a deeper conversation about Volkswagen and our cars.

We will use media, events and the Web to make sure we’re making the right connections, early and often.

In addition to new grassroots initiatives, we will be a sponsor of existing MLS grassroots initiatives including MLS Futbolito and Sueno MLS, which are both fantastic ways to connect with our Spanish speaking fans.

Michael Goldman: MLS is in an expansion mode still, as well as diligently trying to expand its fan base in the U.S.  As MLS grows, hopefully Volkswagen’s presence in the U.S. will grow too as a result of this partnership.  What are the specific areas of growth or demographic additions that Volkswagen is hoping to attain as a result of the partnership with MLS?

Ben Freidson: As the MLS grows its fan base, the partnership generates tremendous visibility with key US consumers including the Hispanic community, families and the endemic soccer fan, all of whom are very important audiences and customers bases for Volkswagen.  Through our activations, consumers have the opportunity to try out new vehicles and see products in person and hands-on in a way that they might not otherwise have experienced.

Michael Goldman: Volkswagen has been a long-time supporter of soccer on a global level.  This partnership shows Volkswagen’s substantial investment and support for soccer in the U.S.  What fraction of Volkswagen of America Inc.’s resources for sports marketing is dedicated to MLS?  What other American sports is Volkswagen involved with?

Ben Freidson: We’re committed to strategic investments in sports marketing because of its ability to deliver strong value messages and build long-term relationships with key audiences. The primary focus of our strategy lies in the sport of soccer however we do have additional sports sponsorships in our portfolio. We are involved in the Chicago and Pittsburgh Marathons in the Midwest region. In addition we are the official automobile of the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center.

Michael Goldman: While Volkswagen is the official automotive partner of MLS, it is also a partner of the D.C. United club.  In addition, the German football club VFL Wolfsburg plays in the Volkswagen Arena.  Do you envision Volkswagen buying the naming rights of a specific MLS club’s stadium at any point in the future?

Ben Freidson: We will continue to explore strategic fits for the brand on a case by case basis. It is great to see soccer specific stadiums launching across the country as it only strengthens the league for the long term.

Michael Goldman: What advice would you give to college students for trying to break into the sports marketing world or other areas related to sports-business?

Ben Freidson: Keep an open-mind to different opportunities such as internships that help you get a foot in the door. Think broadly – brands, agencies, media corporations and teams all need young, well-rounded and diverse team members. Also, while the sports field is exciting to focus on each day, you cannot forget that it’s called “sports business” for a reason.  Especially in these times, working hard to make the connection from program and sports engagements back to communications goals, sales, results and bottom line is critical.  It’s the reason why brands leverage the power of sports.  Demonstrating that you understand the business side well could make you stand out as a candidate.

There are different routes into the sports business field, remember to stay optimistic and display your commitment and passion for making a difference.

Braun is quickly becoming a star and a fan favorite since entering the league in 2007.  He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2007, and came in third in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP.  Braun has kept his agent Nez Balelo (CAA) busy.  During the 2008 season Balelo negotiated an 8-year contract extension with the Brewers, allowing the potential superstar to earn between $45 and $51 million.  In addition to the recent AirTrain deal, Braun has been involved with several other off-the-field opportunities.  The slugger is currently working to develop his own line of aluminum bats, and is developing his own t-shirt line with Affliction Clothing, a company owned by a pair of his friends.  He also has an endorsement deal with Remington, which allowed him to shoot a viral video with supermodel Marisa Miller.

AirTran has recently been working to increase its presence in the Milwaukee region; General Mitchell International Airport has been made a focus city of the airline.  Part of their marketing push has been via the Milwaukee Brewers.  The company recently brokered a deal with Braun’s team for the naming rights for the right field picnic area.  This seating zone will be called the AirTran Airways Landing Zone for the 2009 season.  The airline also has endorsement deals with Donald Driver, Danica Patrick, and Matt Ryan.

Much debate has occurred throughout the past week over whether this is a good move [Tiger Woods' fee queried in Australia]. Premier John Brumby believes that Tiger’s presence at the tournament will net an estimated 19 million dollars to the Victorian economy. The tournament may now attract visitors from both interstate and New Zealand to catch a glimpse of Tiger. Ernst and Young have released a report estimating an increase in 10,000-20,000 more visitors, and at 50 bucks a pop that could end up at around 1 million.

Some people argue where this magical number of $19 million came from, as the event does not have a major television or sponsorship deal; if anything these two companies will benefit by snapping up a bargain deal early. The only way the money will be made up is by tourists spending money elsewhere, which is a high possibility.

Some welfare groups have criticized the fact that taxpayers money is being spent on sport when, with the global financial crisis, many families are struggling.

Tiger hasn’t played in Australia since the 90’s, as the prize money is that of some Nationwide events- hardly appealing for most international players. Some fear a similar disaster like that of when Woods was paid $4 million to play the New Zealand Open a few years ago. The event was washed out and the tournament lost millions.

Whether the presence of Woods in the Australian masters attracts international players remains to be seen; as I previously said, the money isn’t that appealing. Also, instead of spending $3 million on one player, would money be better spent across say 8 players? Why not attract a high quality field rather than just a marquee player? I feel this would increase the standard of the tournament.

Either way, Tiger’s got my money and I’ll certainly be attending at least one day. I just hope the rain stays away.

Stephenson, a guard for Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, which is known for producing stars such as Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, is the ninth-ranked prospect in the class of 2009 according to Rivals.com.

Some insight into his recruiting situation first comes with the fact that Lincoln is an Adidas-sponsored program, but this arrangement doesn’t stop Stephenson from sporting his Nike produced Air Jordans each game. Despite his loyalty, Stephenson was not asked to participate in the Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden on April 18, some believe due to Lincoln’s deal with Adidas.

Stephenson’s recruiting trail heats up when his prospective schools are considered. The 6-foot-5 blue-chip prospect is considering St. John’s (a Nike school), Kansas (an Adidas school), and Maryland (an Under Armour school).

Recently, Stephenson’s shoe-deal entwined courtship became more muddled when he visited the Maryland campus and was given a tour of the Under Armour site, which is owned and operated by former Maryland football player and current Board of Trustee’s member, Kevin Plank. The Washington Post first broke the story of this potential recruiting violation and the school has been investigating.

It has been rumored that some top players may have been advised to consider Maryland because of the school’s ties with Under Armour, according to a source close to the situation.

Plank plans to unveil his line of basketball shoes in 2010, but has been building relationships with high school athletes that have been targeted as potential representatives of the product line, including Stephenson. Lincoln has also “wear-tested” several Under Armour products. Currently, Under Armour has deals with over 70 collegiate programs, including Auburn, Texas Tech, and South Florida, in addition to Maryland.

To say Stephenson will base the majority of his decision on the shoes a school wears is preposterous, but clearly it will be some-what of a factor in his choice, which says a lot about the current state of recruiting and the effects of school’s ties to company sponsorships. Many “one-and-done” basketball players may want to lock up a potential shoe deal early on, potentially having an immense impact on the recruiting process.

Stephenson is still looking at schools and has said he could announce his college commitment on March 21 after the PSAL championship game, which Lincoln has won the past three years, but his answer to where he will play in college may already be laced up.

Reebok has an exclusive license with the NFL to outfit all of the NFL’s players with Reebok headwear.  The deal was struck in 2000 and will last through 2010.  American Needle brought an antitrust action against the NFL claiming that the league is in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act for allowing its member organizations (NFL teams) to give up their licensing rights to NFL Properties.  American Needle’s claim is that NFL Properties licensing of separate team properties was a contract, combination or conspiracy in restraint of trade. The U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit found that nothing in the Sherman Antitrust Act prohibited the NFL teams from cooperating in order to compete with other forms of entertainment.

Here is Mays Mathis’s take on the issue:

In the district and circuit levels, courts basically treated the teams as single entities operating under a common entity (the NFL), but I don’t think that holds up very well against the statute (without, of course, any working knowledge of decisional or regulatory law regarding this type of exclusive licensing arrangement).  However, an adverse decision to the NFL, while not catastrophic, would really dilute the NFL “brand” commercially and probably have two other related results:

1. The individual teams would be indivudually responsible for their own merchandising and marketing (to an extent on the latter), and
2. The teams would not be able to coerce each other to share the revenue from merchandising, which they do now, at least partially.  The income disparity among teams would increase as teams like the Cowboys, Bears, Steelers, etc. would draw a lot more economic interest in their logos than, say, the Seahawks and Bengals.

Not surprisingly, the NHL and the NBA have filed amicus briefs on the side of the NFL asking the court to deny cert. Of course, the MLB isn’t on an amicus brief, since they are pretty much exempt from anti-trust rules.

But IMG and its clients might come away from this potential scandal unscathed.  A few Boras clients may have tougher obstacles to overcome.  Johnny Damon, Xavier Nady, and Mike Pelfrey have had their bank accounts frozen by the federal government as part of the investigation surrounding Stanford.  Damon can’t even pay his off-season trainer.  Matt Wieters and Jake Arrieta, two minor league Boras clients might also be affected.  But Scott Boras will take care of his boys in the meantime, so don’t get any hopes of catching Pelfrey on your neighborhood park bench anytime soon.

A struggling economy, a financial advisor engaged in fraud…what doesn’t have a resounding effect on the sports community now-a-days?

First, the allegations. The NY Post broke the story this past week that “IMG quietly agreed to steer clients looking for investment advice to Stanford Financial Group, potentially exposing them to millions of dollars in losses resulting from the financial firm’s alleged fraud.” Additionally, the story states that Stanford also held talks about a consulting deal with Octagon, during which it inquired about a “financial management deal,” according to a source with knowledge of those discussions. “Basically, they wanted assurances that Octagon would park its clients’ money with them if they did a deal,” this source said. The story continues:

According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, IMG and Stanford have a quid-pro-quo agreement under which Stanford Financial paid IMG a low to mid-seven-figure consulting fee in exchange for IMG advising its clients – which include golfers Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Anthony Kim, Camillo Villegas, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and others – to have their money managed by Stanford. The backroom bargaining has exposed IMG to charges of double-dealing, and is raising questions about where the firm’s allegiances lay: with Stanford Financial or its athlete clients.

It is alleged that in return, IMG advised Stanford on where and how to spend its sponsorship money, especially in regards to golf tournaments.

This scandal is not the first time IMG has made the news for arguably dubious practices. Several years ago, Ernie Els lambasted the firm (he since left) for circulating his name and a corresponding price tag, without his permission, to corporations–some of which were title sponsors to Tour events–that were looking to set up corporate outings with IMG clients during tournament week. The PGA Tour, as is still the case, regulates against players being paid appearance fees to play in specific tournaments (as opposed to Europe, where appearance fees are kosher), though client or corporate outings independent from the event itself are distinguished.

Tiger’s agent, Mark Steinberg, who has been interviewed on SportsAgentBlog.com and is the senior corporate vice president & global managing director of IMG Golf, vehemently denied the charges, stating flatly that “IMG does not give investment advice to our clients…period.”

Yet evidence suggests otherwise. A 2005 Telegraph story on former tennis great and IMG client Virginia Wade, for instance, suggests that in fact the firm is quite integral in the financial decisions made by its clients.

“Since 1974, Ms. Wade has benefited from financial advice from her management company, International Management Group ‘We are in touch regularly, maybe once a month,’” she said.

In the meantime, it’s business as usual for the Cleveland-based firm, widely considered one of the most dominant players in the management of professional golfers and tennis players, as well as its involvement in the two sports’ various tournaments and media related ventures. Prized client Vijay Singh just entered into a major endorsement deal with Stanford that included sponsorship of his bag, visor and left chest on shirts and sweaters. He says that he will continue to wear the logos, relics to a once distinguished name and company that has since found the wayside, mired in deceit and fraud. And both Camilo Villegas and Morgan Pressel have ongoing deals as well. Finally, Tour commissioner Tim Finchem stated that the Stanford St. Jude Championship on June 11-14 in Memphis, Tenn. will be played – with or without its title sponsor (the PGA Tour has a rainy day pot of about $200 million it can dip into for such emergency situations, i.e. if Stanford backs out or cannot continue its sponsorship). However, as one senior Golfweek writer wrote, Stanford also is affiliated with IMG’s prized client, , with a three-year founding sponsorship of AT&T National, a Tiger Woods Foundation event.

Chances are that Camp Tiger is looking none too kindly on this whole sordid affair, and that IMG will get an earful. From IMG’s standpoint, that will hopefully be the end of it. But if more murky details emerge, things could get worse for the mega firm before they get better. And if push comes to shove, more clients could choose to do what Ernie Els did a long time ago and cut their losses. Or at the very least, ask the company precisely whose interests it is serving.

The process of relocating a professional sports franchise is not an easy one.  That could be one reason why the Chargers have hired Wasserman Media Group (WMG) to market the team in L.A. and Orange County.  That specific market accounts for roughly 30% of the team’s luxury suites and club seats currently in San Diego. The LA Times has called the move “an initial step” toward relocation. But Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani claimed that the newly formed partnership “has nothing whatsoever to do with the team staying or going.”

Besides being known as one of the leading global sports management companies,  WMG’s website also states that consulting is one of the groups areas of expertise.  Specifically it states “WMG works with some of the largest and most successful companies in the world and manages their marketing strategies, develops strategic alliances, and drives innovative programs to elevate their brands.”  Does this suggest that WMG will create an alliance between Los Angeles and the Chargers organization?

Could Phillip Rivers and the Bolts be the next franchise to relocate, or is WMG really just located in a great place to help San Diego market its team?  San Diego’s success may suggest that this is only for marketing purposes or to bring in more revenue during the tough economic state.  WMG would be a great choice to market any sports team, as WMG represents many of the top organizations and companies in the world including David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy organization, A.C. Milan, many of the English Premiere League teams (Newcastle, Liverpool, Reading, Totenham, Rangers..), and almost every team in the NBA. Although WMG has dealt with many storied franchises, the Chargers would be the first NFL franchise on the client list.

On the other hand, the poor record the Oakland Raiders had the past several seasons could make them more of a candidate for relocation than the Chargers.  Owner Al Davis has shown his unpredictability last season, so with Oakland, anything is possible.  Maybe changing locations will help the team (Using OKC in the NBA as a comparison, maybe it won’t).  Signing Dynasty 2009 Draft Client Kevin Grant to strengthen the Raider defense could be a nice addition as well.

Tennis, in regards to sports business, does not receive much coverage yet almost everyone, whether a die hard fan or not, could probably name a few players. Tennis has experienced quite a resurgence in the last few years, with record attendances at the Australian Open being just one of the upsides of late, not to mention at grassroots level, with an increase of 7% from 2007 to 2008 in participation in the US.

Despite the level of interest in the sport, tennis like many other sports may be affected by the current economic crisis. Rising ticket prices may hurt the Australian Open this year, with spectators opting for the cheaper ground pass option over centre court seats.

From a Sports Agent point of view, the main sources of revenue that you receive are through gaining sponsorship for your client. The general level of percentage of the deal is between 15-25%. The obvious sponsors that you are looking to attract for your client are apparel and equipment sponsors. This can range from your client wearing and using the company’s equipment for no income, which would occur with a player starting out or low ranked to multi-million dollar deals and specifically tailored and named items in that your client may have a part in designing. One only needs to look at Roger Federer’s reported $13 million a year deal with Nike and his “RF” apparel. His previous deal, which he signed in 2002 was worth $6 million over 6 years.

After the initial sponsors are signed, and if your client is good enough, you may start attract non-sporting sponsors for your player. This may range from a few promos for the company to wearing the logo on their apparel while playing. Maria Sharapova is the queen of the female tour, attracting around $20 million in sponsorship alone, the bulk from the non-sporting arena.

Tennis players do not have a guaranteed salary, competing for prize money week to week. Winning a Grand Slam can net you millions, whilst a smaller tournament might only get you about $25,000 for a win. Taking out travel, accommodation, coaches and medical fees doesn’t leave much in the pay check at the end of the day, hence why sponsorship is vital (though some National sporting bodies help with these fees). Taking this into account, a look at the 2008 WTA Prize Money list and the Top 200 would be the cut off of earning a decent living. That being said, players based in Europe or the US on the ITF Challenger Circuit can earn a decent wage, with tournaments worth between $25,000 and $150,000 being held almost every week.

The role of a tennis agent varies from day to day. After attracting and keeping sponsors happy, an agent assists the player in maintaining life on the tour. This could be anything from booking flights and accommodation, setting up interviews, registering players for tournaments and so on. Basically anything that makes life easier for the player, who can focus on training and competing. With the tennis tours being worldwide, it’s important that an agent establishes a network of contacts throughout the world. Hence why the big agencies have a large list of clients.
Representing tennis players is no easy feat, as a lot of time and money must be invested on lowly ranked players to help them reach the big time, which may never happen.

In such tennis loving countries as Australia, it’s not uncommon for players to transcend their tennis persona and move into the general public spotlight. Former player Alicia Molik was recently a contestant on the Australian “Dancing with the Stars”.

In terms of representation, there are three major players:

IMG:
IMG has a hand in representation and tournament management. Their stable includes the Top 2 men, Federer and Nadal, along with Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport and the recently signed Jelena Jankovic. Having the resources of a large company attracts many stars to employ them, along with their reputation.

Octagon:
Octagon’s client base includes Elena Dementieva, Amelie Mauresmo, Ernests Gulbis and rising star Dominic Cibulkova. With over 50 clients on their books, Octagon also has a hand in tournament management, making their mark in tennis all the more significant.

CAA:
Creative Artists Agency deserves a mention as they have world number 3 and 4 of the ATP Tour in Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray on their books. Look out for them to acquire more talent over the future.

So what will 2009 hold? The Fed Express appears to have been dethroned, with Nadal now at No.1. The Williams sisters are showing no signs of slowing down their dominance, however there are some players coming through who may give them a run for their money.

The Big Guns:

The Williams Sisters: Serena and Venus, if they can escape injury should continue their successful run into 2009, with the Grand Slams in their sights. These 2 have been the model of consistency over the years capturing 16 Grand Slams in their time.

Maria Sharapova: After the embarrassing thrashing she had at the Australian Open in 2007, Maria came back and won the 2008 title comfortably. By far the highest earning player on the female tour, Maria still manages to fit in a packed schedule of playing commitments on top of her massive list of sponsors and her charitable work. Although she is currently under an injury cloud, Maria should claw her way back from Number 9 and be a major threat to those above her.

Rafael Nadal: Until last year, he hadn’t won a Grand Slam other than the French Open, but after one of the greatest tennis matches in history at Wimbledon, things changed. Rafael has a strong lead over Federer in the rankings, but with so many points to defend he may find it difficult to keep the top spot. Nadal is locked into a long term deal with Nike, though I don’t think it’s as much as Fed would be getting paid.

Roger Federer: One of the most successful sportsmen ever may be the biggest surprise packet this year. Federer had, for lack of a better term, an unsuccessful year. This could prove the perfect springboard for him as he doesn’t have as many points to defend. His sponsorship shouldn’t be affected too greatly, as most of the companies would have locked him long term. It could be Federer’s toughest year as there are plenty of players emerging who could still the Number 2 spot, namely Andy Murray, who holds a record over him.

Andy Murray:
Murray had a stellar 2008, with an appearance in the US Open. The Englishman is the must see at Wimbledon for home fans, with the famous “Henman Hill” being renamed “Murray Mountain”. I believe Andy has the game to win a major, and sponsors are lining up despite the economic crisis.

Make or break time:

Lleyton Hewitt: As much as I hate to say it, the Australian’s time on the tour could be running out. Languishing around the 70’s in the rankings, the former No. 1 Hewitt has struggled with poor form and constant injuries. His time on the tour has provided many achievements, and I hope to see him bounce back to challenge for titles.

Lindsay Davenport: Lindsay recently pulled out of the upcoming Australian Open due to giving birth to her second child. It’s unknown whether she will attempt a second comeback.

Players to look out for:

Ernests Gulbis: I first noticed Ernests’ form when he was just outside the 100. The talented Latvian has a Grand Slam win in him, having the game to knock off the big guns. A recent cruisy win over Djokovic certainly helps.

Juan Martin Del Potro: The 20 year old Argentinian burst onto the scene in 2008 with a string of wins to take him into the Top 20. Expect more of the same this year, with top showings in the majors.

Gael Monfils: It’s hard to believe that this guy is only 22, it seems like he has been on the tour much longer. Nike inked a 4 year deal with Gael said to be worth $2 million plus bonuses in 2005 when he was just 18. His deal this year should be at least double that. In 2009, Monfils proved that he can handle the pressure, making the semi finals of his home slam and being competitive against the Fed Express. His talent doesn’t only lie on clay with strong results on all surfaces.

Caroline Wozniacki: Having captured 3 titles in 2008, Caroline broke into the Top 20. At only 18 has a bright future ahead of her. The WTA Tour is so close that it is not uncommon for significant changes of the Top 20 after each tournament.

Casey Dellacqua: Casey made a strong impression in 2008 when she knocked Mauresmo out of the Australian Open. During the tournament, she cited that she didn’t have a clothes sponsor, prompting a swift signing of an apparel deal with Target. Despite a minor injury setback at the end of 2008, the Australian should be competitive through 2009. Dellacqua has one of the most powerful games after the Williams sisters, and that attribute should she her continue her rise and break the Top 50.

2009 is shaping up to be quite a year for tennis. Despite some tournaments (Pacific Life is a major one) losing their title sponsors, individual athletes continue to sign lucrative deals, suggesting that the sport will survive the current financial crisis a bit better than others. Hopefully the second tier Challenger/ Future tour doesn’t see its schedule and prize money decrease, as this will be a good yard stick as how the top tours will succeed.