Tennis Tournaments Finances

It was a spotlight the likes of which women's tennis seldom enjoys: a televised ceremony in New York's Madison Square Garden, honoring one of sports' greatest champions. The event, at the year-ending Virginia Slims championship in November, was meant to honor Martina Navratilova. The game's most enduring star was retiring from singles competition at age 38, after 22 years on the tour. The ceremony, however, turned out to be a disappointment.

It was a spotlight the likes of which women's tennis seldom enjoys: a televised ceremony in New York's Madison Square Garden, honoring one of sports' greatest champions. The event, at the year-ending Virginia Slims championship in November, was meant to honor Martina Navratilova. The game's most enduring star was retiring from singles competition at age 38, after 22 years on the tour. The ceremony, however, turned out to be a disappointment.

They're serving grilled chicken Caesar salads and tennis balls at the Los Angeles Open, once the tournament of Tilden, Vines, Budge, Kramer, Laver, Gonzalez, Ashe, Connors and McEnroe. It looked for a while like today's champion was going to be some guy who learned how to play tennis on a court made out of an ant bed. Tennis is the great equalizer, all right, caring not one whit where you come from, only how often you can hit a line with a ball.

They're serving grilled chicken Caesar salads and tennis balls at the Los Angeles Open, once the tournament of Tilden, Vines, Budge, Kramer, Laver, Gonzalez, Ashe, Connors and McEnroe. It looked for a while like today's champion was going to be some guy who learned how to play tennis on a court made out of an ant bed. Tennis is the great equalizer, all right, caring not one whit where you come from, only how often you can hit a line with a ball.