MELBOURNE, Australia(AP) Adam Helfant has a reputation as a good listener. It's a trait he'll have to draw on as the new boss of men's tennis.
The challenge of satisfying players, tournament officials and sponsors is big in its own right. Now a reeling global economy, with everyone looking to cut costs, has been thrown into the mix.
He was under no illusions as to the complexities,'' said Kris Dent, the ATP's corporate communications director.It's a wide landscape - 63 tournaments, 400-plus players, seven different governing bodies to coordinate with.''
Helfant, a 44-year-old American, is a former NHL lawyer, Nike executive and Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineering graduate. He replaces South African Etienne de Villiers, who ran the ATP Tour since 2005 and stepped down last year.
Helfant flew into Melbourne for the season-opening Grand Slam and spent much of last week meeting with the Players Council and many others to get their views on tennis' problems and possibilities before moving to London this week.
I think it's one of the toughest jobs in sports, with the conflicting agendas between the players, the ITF and the tournaments,'' Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.We need a leader who's going to direct the players on what's best for the sport in the future, not necessarily what's best for them now. I think he's the right guy.
``People need to understand that it doesn't happen overnight. There's got to be a plan, a robust plan. And stick with it. The pain of change isn't as great as the pain of losing.''
The economic crisis certainly is adding a new urgency. Financial services companies and automakers, among tennis' prime sponsors, have been hit hard but replacements have been surprisingly easy to find. There also is a waiting list of cities wanting to host tournaments. That could change if the downturn drags on.
Helfant declined interview requests, saying through Dent he wants to get a good understanding of the situation before making public comment.
Those who have met with him - including top players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick - agree with Tiley that Helfant seems to be the right guy at the right time.
I think we're very excited about him being in this position because Rafa, myself and all the other guys on the (players) council, we've worked extremely hard trying to get tennis on the right track,'' said Federer, who relishes his role as an ambassador for tennis.It wasn't bad, but I still think we can improve. I think with a guy like Adam, we can make the necessary changes.''
Roddick had dinner with Helfant and came away impressed.
He didn't come in with kind of this braggadocio attitude of what he's done, whatever,'' said Roddick, who has been on tour since 2000 and is now ranked No. 7.He kind of came in and he had his notepad and his pen and he asked questions and he wrote down notes. He was kind of very concerned about a number of issues. If he didn't quite understand it, he would ask why we thought that.''
The issues are not new. They include just about everything from the tournament schedule down to which surfaces and balls are best.
The scheduling is contentious. Some changes have been adopted, including efforts to provide more of a lead-in to the French Open. Players would like more changes, especially with pressure from their countries to play Davis Cup, the Olympics and other competitions.
Switching things around a bit is far from easy.
Take the Australian Open. Some players would like to see it pushed back a bit to provide a longer offseason to relax and get healthy after what can be a grueling grind throughout the year.
But Tiley likes the Australian Open just where it is - right at the end of Australia's national summer break, which fuels attendance. It's also a time that, other than the Super Bowl, sports such as baseball, golf and soccer are on the back burner and others (NBA, NHL) are well away from the push toward the playoffs.
And while heat often becomes an issue the last two weeks in January, early February is traditionally even hotter.
Tiley's suggestion is to stretch from the other side, clearing up early November. Needless to say, tournaments scheduled then or shortly before would resist.
Then there's the question of whether players would even take the time off if the offseason were lengthened. The very top players, with endorsement money fattening their bank accounts, can afford to pick and choose where they play. Others have to worry about paying the bills so they play every chance they get, even if it means getting worn down and injury-prone.
Should Helfant think about requiring players to take vacations?
Players aren't going to sit on the beach for six weeks,'' Dent said.They'll do exhibitions.''
Some issues have eased since de Villiers took the ATP job in 2005 with a mandate for change.
The high-tech Hawkeye replay system has reduced grumbling over line calls, though Federer and some other players dislike it. Prize money has risen. Doubles, which seemed headed for extinction other than at the Grand Slams and Davis Cup, has been saved, at least temporarily, thanks to some tweaking of the scoring system.
Still, de Villiers took heat for being aloof and not always listening to players and others before imposing changes.
I think he's been unfairly criticized,'' Tiley said.In my view, he always had the best interests of the sport at heart. I think he was the right man at the right time.''
Now tennis will find out if the same applies to Helfant.