Slamming Down Under

Kicking off the 2011 Grand Slam, this year's Australian Open is full of fund-raising, fashion, and Federer

By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek

1. Net Gains: Tennis at the Australian Open

One year ago, the world's tennis elite opened their hearts and their wallets to help ease the pain of a Caribbean nation torn apart by a devastating earthquake—"Hit for Haiti" exhibition matches convened in Melbourne and later in Indian Wells, Calif., helped raise tens of millions of dollars for Haitian relief efforts and cemented the reputations of the ATP and WTA tours as first responders among the world's community of athletes.

This year, the 2011 Australian Open, the first Slam and thus the unofficial opening of the tennis season, started with a similar quest, as pro tennis players led by Roger Federer staged a "Rally for Relief" exhibition on Sunday to raise money for the victims of devastating floods in the Australian state of Queensland—much closer to home than Haiti for most, as The New York Times noted, especially "when they saw Pat Rafter Arena, where many of them played the Brisbane International last week, under water."

More than 15,000 attendees watched such stars as Federer, Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Andy Murray, Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic, and Aussie natives Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur rally and banter for the cause. "Joker" Novak Djokovic borrowed a camera from a courtside media photographer, while Andy Roddick coaxed a referee to take his place on court. About $750,000 was reportedly raised at the event, matched by government agency funds and enhanced throughout the tournament, as the players continue to auction off racquets and shirts and donate generously for every ace they serve.

The players' pockets won't be empty for long. This year's Australian Open will offer a $24 million prize pool, the biggest in its history. Looking to the future, Emirates Airlines is interested in securing title naming rights to the season-opening major. Kia (KIMTF) is the "major partner" of the Open until 2013, while V Australia is the official airline partner through 2013 as well.

Melbourne Park is undergoing a $350 million renovation to ensure future Australian Opens beyond 2016. The biggest beneficiary of the improvements is Margaret Court Arena, which will install a retractable roof and increase capacity from 1,500 to 7,500. Back stateside, the USTA has approved a similar $300 million overhaul of the National Tennis Center over the next eight years, including a renovation of Louis Armstrong Stadium that will make it "roof ready."

2. Ad ATP

The ATP World Tour earned a $28 million profit in 2009, primarily from expensive fees charged to tournaments to remain in the top two tiers. The profit was reported in the Tour's tax return. The returns also revealed that ATP Chairman Adam Helfant made $1.4 million in his first year running the organization. The year under Helfant kicks off with a new marketing campaign: The ATP last week unveiled "Game On," marking the start of the 2011 season. The broadcast, digital, and print campaign depicts stars Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Roddick, and Murray posing as warriors competing in a fantasy stadium.

Beginning in 2012, the ATP will expand its offseason to seven weeks—at least for two seasons, and more if the players have their way. The longer break was approved by the ATP board of directors at its London meetings in late November; the ATP Players Council, led by Federer, Nadal, American Sam Querry, and Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, has been lobbying for a longer recovery period between seasons for some time. The council also represents the interests of the ATP's lower-tier tours, including Satellites, Futures, and Challengers.