Dave Miley confirmed as official candidate for ITF Presidency

Former ITF Director of Development launches "Together for Tennis" vision at Roland Garros, Paris

3 June 2019

Former International Tennis Federation (ITF) Director of Development, Dave Miley, has formally begun his campaign to become the new President of the ITF, after the International Federation confirmed him as an official candidate. Miley is nominated for the position of ITF President by Tennis Ireland

Speaking in Paris at Roland Garros, Miley unveiled his "Together for Tennis" campaign, aimed at uniting tennis’ stakeholders to work together in the interest of the sport and in the interests of the ITF member Federations that own the ITF, alongside seven core pillars which will underpin his detailed manifesto to be launched later this month. These include:

--Governance and integrity

--Professional tennis

--Commercial and income generation

---Grassroots development

--Building relationships and partnerships

--ITF structure

--Contribution to society and the environment

ITF Presidential candidate Dave Miley commented:

"Tennis has been at the heart of my life for more than 50 years – as a player, coach, owner of an indoor tennis and fitness business and as a tennis administrator and leader of the development of the sport globally. It is no exaggeration to say that our sport has had a profound impact on my life and that is why I have spent many years giving back to it.

"When I look at the ITF and tennis across the world today, I passionately believe there is so much more we can do to ensure our sport touches peoples’ lives in the way it has touched me. I have spent the last six months travelling extensively meeting the most important constituents of our sport and I was in listening mode. I am more convinced that it is by working together, as a global tennis family, that our sport can truly realise its full potential.

"A strong and healthy ITF is good for the game, as are strong Grand Slams, sustainable professional tours, vibrant grassroots tennis and, of course, well-funded and dynamic Federations.

"Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a facilitator that brings people together and I have proven that time and again during my tenure working at the top levels of international tennis. It is why my campaign slogan for the Presidency of the ITF is ‘Together For Tennis’. My Presidency will not be about one person. I intend to lead a movement of like-minded people coming from the Federation leadership and ITF Board to improve the ITF, making it stronger, and to change for the better the current fragmented international tennis order.

"The tennis family is not working together as it should. We are still too fragmented, interests are not always aligned and some have vested interests that are holding tennis back. While our sport is growing in some important markets, there are worrying declines in participation in North America and Europe for example.

"My vision is focused on seeing the ITF strong again and address, head on, the challenges it increasingly faces."

--Governance and integrity issues related to the ITF constitution

--The sale of data which facilitates gambling and potential integrity issues in the sport

--Professional tennis and the changes to ITF entry level that have cause so much damage to the sport

--Deteriorating relations with professional players and important constituents of tennis including the Grand Slams & Pro Tours

--Lack of commercial success with unsold or undersold assets

--Escalating ITF staffing levels and costs since 2015 and current deficits

--Lack of tangible actions to drive up participation

Miley, has been nominated for the position of ITF President by Tennis Ireland and has received support from the Irish Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross and from the President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Sarah Keane.

-ENDS-

About Dave Miley

Former ITF Director of Development, Dave Miley was born in South America and lived in the Caribbean until aged eight. He currently resides in Wimbledon and holds Irish citizenship. During his time at the ITF, Dave travelled to over 150 nations. Dave Miley is a truly global candidate.

Dave is a former Irish tennis international and three time national champion, having also played US College tennis and on the entry level professional circuit.

He worked for 25 years at the ITF and led the ITF’s biggest department for 17, overseeing a US ten million dollar departmental budget. He was instrumental in the creation of the ITF’s successful Tennis Play and Stay Campaign in 2007, the Rule change for 10 and under tennis in 2010 and developed and launched the 1st global tennis ratings system in 2003. He was also actively involved in ITF Board of Directors for 17 years and has considerable experience of ITF committees and how they operate.

He has extensive experience chairing committees and Task Forces including the ITF Intro to Tennis and the ITF Coach Education Task Force. He was also responsible, on behalf of the President, for ITF relations with regional associations and sat as a member on the Tennis Industry Association Board and the ITF medical commission.

An accomplished tennis writer, Dave has published extensively on the state of international tennis and is the author of seven coaching books.

Miley holds two business degrees and developed and ran as owner/CEO an indoor tennis business in his 20s employing over 30 people which he sold in 1997. He is fluent in the three official languages of the ITF – English, French and Spanish.

For further information:

Tom Lloyd

VERO Communications

tlloyd@verocom.co.uk

+44 [0]7824 807743