Former WTA Exec Stacey Allaster Makes Her Return To The Net With USTA

Special to NYSportsJournalism.com

March 15, 2016: Stacey Allaster, who for nearly a decade was president and then chairwoman for the Women's Tennis Assn. before stepping down this past October, is returning to tennis in the newly created position of CEO, Professional Tennis for the U.S. Tennis Assn.

Financial terms of the deal for Allaster, who begins her new job in April, were not disclosed.

According to USTA, Allaster's role would include "setting the strategic vision for the USTA’s pro tennis division, with oversight that includes the U.S. Open, the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series and the Western & Southern Open," among others.

Allaster will also work closely with the USTA’s board of directors and the current USTA pro tennis staff to "ensure the continued viability of professional tennis in the United States."

“Stacey’s track record in tennis is exemplary,” Katrina Adams, USTA chairman, CEO and president for the USTA said in a statement. “She is a role model, has been a success at every level of the sport and is driven by a passion for tennis. We know that she will help bring the USTA’s professional tennis interests to even greater heights.”   

Allaster was named WTA president in 2006 and chairwoman in 2009. She resigned in October citing personal reasons.

“Stacey’s track record in tennis is exemplary. She is a role model, has been a success at every level of the sport and is driven by a passion for tennis."

“The recent loss of my brother-in-law and the ATP’s CEO, Brad Drewett, has provided a personal wake-up call about life, family and priorities and it is time for me to shift some time and energy that way," she said in a statement at the time. "When I joined the WTA my goal was to leave the organization on a stronger footing and I feel a humble sense of pride in what we have all accomplished here. I have focused on what it means to be a champion and I have tried to be a strong role model for women to encourage success in the sports industry.“

In her new position, she will report to USTA executive director and COO Gordon Smith. David Brewer, USTA chief of professional tennis operations and U.S. Open Tournament director, would continue in his current role and report to Allaster, per the USTA.

Prior to her tenure with WTA, Allaster, a native of Canada who became an American citizen in 2015, joined Tennis Canada and rose to become the tournament director of the Canadian Open in Toronto, now known as the Rogers Cup.

USTA said that Allaster would split time between its national headquarters in White Plains, N.Y., and the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., currently under construction, which will be home to USTA Player Development and USTA Pro Circuit staff when it opens later this year.

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