AN INTERVIEW WITH NEW WTA CEO STEVE SIMON
By Bill Simons
Just after being named to succeed Stacey Allaster as the WTA Tour’s CEO, industry veteran Steve Simon spoke with IT Publisher Bill Simons. The humble and widely-respected Simon – who was a teaching pro, shop owner, shoe promoter and then the BNP Paribas Open’s tournament director – talked about his vision for the WTA, Venus Williams’s boycott, equal prize money, globalization and the many injuries on the tour, and admitted he didn’t speak Italian.
INSIDE TENNIS: When do you start as CEO?
STEVE SIMON: As of about ten minutes ago. [Laughs.] I have a little bit to get caught up on.
IT: Will you move to Florida?
SS: I’ll relocate to St. Pete [St. Petersburg, FL].
IT: So, in light of the US Open final, how’s your Italian?
SS: [Laughs.] I’m going to have to learn my Italian, that’s for sure. I struggle with English. [Laughs.] But I’ll brush up on my Italian in order to be able to speak to the girls.
IT: Talk about taking over as the WTA chief.
SS: I’m humbled and excited. I’m drawn to the challenge associated with the pursuit of excellence and innovation and experience, and I want to bring all that to the WTA and build upon the success that’s already in place.
IT: The US Open women’s final sold out ahead of the men’s for the first time. We saw a woman [Eva Asderaki] in the chair at the US Open men’s final. What’s the key thing that women’s tennis brings?
SS: It brings, as you said, entertainment. Women’s pro tennis is interesting. It’s one of the few women’s pro sports that translates to all demographics and audiences. The US Open results reflect that. It was compelling tennis for two weeks and ended up with a final that people really embraced. It was fun, it was entertaining, the people saw the personalities of the young ladies. Fans truly enjoyed and found it refreshing.
IT: Obviously, Serena is not going to play the rest of the season. In terms of charismatic players, Li Na has retired, Maria Sharapova hasn’t played a full match since Wimbledon, and now young Genie Bouchard is having serious concussion troubles. Do you think there’s an issue now with the most charismatic players retiring or going through tough times or injuries?
SS: Clearly, Serena would love to be in Singapore. Was it her desire? I haven’t spoken to her yet, but I’m sure it wasn’t her desire to not be playing the rest of this year. It’s obviously a long year and she’s getting back her health and we’ll certainly miss her in Singapore. But Singapore is going to be a very exciting championships. We’ll have the chance to crown a new world champion this year. It’s going to be a great show and we’re excited.
IT: The ATP chief Chris Kermode was pretty strong in his criticism of [Andy] Murray possibly missing the ATP Championships in London, but [WTA President] Micky Lawler said that Serena’s health is the first priority. Different takes in different situations. Do you agree with Lawler that Serena should just take care of her health, or are you going to somehow encourage her to try and play Singapore?
SS: No, Serena has to do what Serena feels is in her best interests, if she needs the time off, which is what she’s indicated, to get healthy. We want a healthy Serena for 2016. Like I said, we’re certainly going to miss her in Singapore. We wish she was going to be there. But if she’s not right and not healthy, you can’t go on court unless you’re right and ready to go.
IT: What do you say to people who claim there should not be prize equality when the women play best of three sets [at the Slams] and the men give entertainment over five sets?
SS: Look, the equality issue is beyond reproach. We live in a world where equality should be respected to the utmost. There’s no difference here. The differences with respect to three- and five-set matches is not the major issue. It is all about things being equal and putting the product on the court, and the girls have done a good job living up to that.
IT: There’s been so much globalization in tennis, The BNP Paribas Open almost went offshore. In the past twenty months we’ve seen American Todd Martin become the head of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, former USTA president Dave Haggerty become the ITF head, and now you’re going to head the WTA. All these Americans. What does that say in this environment? What does it say about America and its place in tennis?
SS: America has always had a strong place in the game. The game though is an international game and business, one of the most international sports that’s out there. What it reflects is that obviously Americans are strong in tennis. But these positions are being filled, not so much based upon where somebody has resided or on the basis of their geography or nationality. It’s done based on their experience and the contributions that can be brought to the respective organizations.
IT: With former WTA chiefs Larry Scott and Stacey [Allaster] there was a real focus on the Asia-Pacific market. Will you be rethinking that?
SS: It’s premature to get too far into that yet. Obviously it has been a growing part of the business. Just about every organization has seen the Asia-Pacific region as a huge opportunity for growth. We certainly have seen some of that through tennis, which has been terrific. We will be looking at our overall business and how Asia-Pacific continues to fit into that and how we maximize the opportunity without over-saturating it as well. Those are all things to be looked at.
IT: You’ve been around back to the days of Billie Jean King, and you’ve seen generation after generation emerge. Do you think the game does a good job at bringing new talents, and new story lines? Does it reinvent itself?
SS: Absolutely. The game does, sport does. You see it everywhere. There’s always going to be the new stories and personalities that are going to come and be a part of all of this, and the history. Tennis has gone through many evolutions, and it’s going to go through another one here before long, on both the WTA and ATP sides. There’ll be another set of great champions.
Everything is cyclical, and there’re new generations that’ll be coming through. It will be exciting.
IT: Has there been any other player-athlete who has had more impact on a single sport than Billie Jean King in her early creation of the WTA, and her pushing and promoting it?
SS: It’s a very special story. The WTA and women’s pro tennis was built based upon Billie Jean’s leadership as well as the Original 9 that all stepped up with her to bring pro tennis to the women’s game. That should always be celebrated and respected. That heritage and her contribution to the game is beyond reproach.
IT: In a similar vein, we’ve seen these two girls emerge out of the same house in Compton, CA to revolutionize tennis. What’s been the impact of Venus and Serena and has there ever been a sports story like theirs?
SS: Their impact on the game has been amazing. They brought another level of athleticism to the game. That athleticism, it’s helped transform tennis and is part of the game we see today. They’ve played huge roles. You have one player, in Venus, who’s been an unbelievable champion and just celebrated her 400th win on the tour, which is an amazing feat in itself, and you have her sister, Serena, who is in the discussion as to possibly be one of the greatest players who ever played. You have that factor. Their impact on the game has just been tremendous and extremely positive.
IT: Your predecessor Stacey [Allaster] said that Serena coming back to the BNP Paribas Open was her Martin Luther King moment. Does that resonate? Do you think that was a special moment in recent WTA history?
SS: It was a great moment. It was great to have Serena back playing at one of the, if not the, premiere events on the WTA Tour. You want your best players at your best events. It was great to welcome her back and it was very positive for all involved.
IT: Will you encourage Venus to end her boycott and go back to the BNP Paribas next year?
SS: Yes, I hope she does consider coming back to Indian Wells. She would be embraced just like Serena was this past year. Hopefully she will give that some consideration and be back before she finishes her career.
IT: Was Adidas your start? Did you work with J. Wayne Richmond, [Charlie] Hoeveler, David Brewer and Bill Closs?
SS: I was recruited to Adidas by J. Wayne Richmond and worked at the Clossco for Bill Closs and company. J. Wayne Richmond was the one who hired me to work at the company.
IT: Did you sell Stan Smith shoes?
SS: [Laughs] I didn’t sell them, I gave them away. I was on the promo side.
IT: It’s no secret that you were interested in the position of ATP chief when that opened up. Did going through that in some way help you in talking with the WTA?
SS: They were different situations. I was part of that ATP process and it was certainly a positive experience. But you learn from every experience, and you channel it away, and it helps you in the future when something similar comes on up. There’s nothing like experience.
IT: Did you speak with Larry Ellison or Billie Jean King or Stacey Allaster or any other prominent people in the industry as this selection process went on?
SS: You always speak to the people that you trust, and talk about the things that are forthcoming and help you make a good decision. I’ll keep those under my hat, but yeah, you always definitely talk to people.
IT: The BNP Paribas [Open] is such an incredible, dazzling event. What’s the one thing in your years of experience there that will help you most?
SS: Clearly, the basis for presenting a product, and presenting a premium product. The continued pursuit of excellence and innovation that provides for the best experience people can have consuming your product. That foundation is fundamental to what we do in pro tennis. You’ll start to see that as I get involved and get to work.
