Helfant To Depart ATP World Tour

The ATP has announced that executive chairman and president Adam Helfant will not seek to continue his position with the Tour beyond the his three-year contract, which concludes at the end of this year.

Helfant joined the ATP in January 2009 and has overseen impressive growth at the Tour during difficult economic times, particularly in the areas of sponsorship, television and digital.

Helfant’s contributions and leadership have been instrumental, most recently in the Tour’s lengthening of its off-season and its signing of two major new sponsors, Corona Extra and FedEx.

Helfant said: ‘I recently informed the ATP’s Board of Directors that I have respectfully declined their offer to continue on’.

‘Since I joined the ATP I have felt an immense sense of responsibility to the sport, and the people who have devoted the better part of their lives to it, to leave things better than when I arrived. I am proud to say the Tour is stronger than ever — in terms of on-court action and our business — and is well positioned for the future’.

‘I am proud of what we’ve accomplished. Yet, there comes a time when it makes sense to look to the future and consider other opportunities. For me, that time is now. I have enjoyed the challenges during my time at the ATP, and the position has been rewarding; but when my contract is up at the end of this year, it will be the right time for me to move on’.

The ATP will begin the search process for Helfant’s successor in the near future.

Roger Federer, president of the ATP Player Council, added: ‘On behalf of the player council and all the players, I would like to thank Adam for his excellent leadership and contributions during his time at the ATP’.

‘We achieved a lot together and will be sorry to see him go at the end of the year. The sport is in great shape and we look forward to helping to identify a new leader for this important position’.