Publications

September 2017 (Revised June 2019)
Case

The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament

By: Anita Elberse and Saskia Van Rheenen

Should the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament gamble most of its player budget on superstar player Rafael Nadal, even after the event’s previous two editions saw Nadal and Roger Federer pull out at the last moment due to injury, leaving the tournament without any... View Details

Keywords: Superstar; Talent; General Management; Marketing; Sports; Media; Entertainment; Talent and Talent Management; Negotiation; Strategy; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

30 Aug 2010
News

New Head of Tennis Jamaica

Keywords: Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries; Arts, Entertainment

February 1999 (Revised August 2004)
Case

I Lost My Volvo in New Haven: Tennis Event Sponsorship

By: Stephen A. Greyser, Brian R. Harris and Mitchell Truwit

Focuses on event management and sponsorship from the perspective of the event owner (rather than that of the sponsorship company). Describes in depth the search by one of the tennis tournaments on the professional circuit for a principal sponsor. Detailed economics of... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Communications; Decision Choices and Conditions; Management; Product Positioning; Television Entertainment; Sports; Partners and Partnerships; Sports Industry

June 2019 (Revised May 2022)
Case

Roger Federer's TEAM8: Launching the Laver Cup

By: Anita Elberse

Roger Federer, widely regarded as the best tennis player in the history of the sport, walked onto the court to thunderous applause during in the second edition of the Laver Cup in September 2018. Named after tennis legend Rod Laver, the Cup pitted many of the greatest... View Details

Keywords: Superstars; Tennis; Tournaments; Entrepreneurship; Sports; Competitive Strategy; Value Creation; Sports Industry

June 2010
Teaching Note

Playa Dorada Tennis Club: Expansion Strategy (Brief Case)

By: W. Earl Sasser Jr. and Brent Kazan

Teaching Note for 4221. View Details

June 2010
Supplement

Playa Dorada Tennis Club: Expansion Strategy, Faculty Spreadsheet Supplement (Brief Case)

By: W. Earl Sasser, Jr. and Brent Kazan

June 2010
Supplement

Playa Dorada Tennis Club: Expansion Strategy, Spreadsheet Supplement (Brief Case)

By: W. Earl Sasser, Jr. and Brent Kazan

01 Dec 2020
News

Well Matched

that.” Lyons offered to send Rapaport’s resume to some of the investors in the fund, including Serena Williams. After much due diligence, multiple pitches, and a well-timed taco lunch (Rapaport brought the fixings to the tennis great’s... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; venture capital; diversity; inclusion; tennis; leadership; women; Finance

06 Apr 2024
News

Behavioral Scientist Michael Norton: ‘When a Tennis Player Ties Their Shoes in a Particular Way, They Feel They Can Play at Wimbledon’

2010
Case

Playa Dorado

By: W. Earl Sasser

Playa Dorada Beach & Resort in Boca Raton, Florida, faces a growing seasonal demand for tennis services. The number of guests is expected to double in the next few years, and while the tennis facilities are a popular and well-promoted amenity at the resort, court space... View Details

Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Expansion; Planning; Mathematical Methods; Price; Profit; Sales; Operations; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing; Performance Capacity; Accommodations Industry; Florida

29 Oct 2007
HBS Case

Marketing Maria: Managing the Athlete Endorsement

When Serena Williams took Centre Court at Wimbledon on July 3, 2004, few gave her opponent, 17-year-old Russian star Maria Sharapova, much of a chance. But Sharapova took the Ladies' Singles championship in straight sets, catapulting her into superstardom in the worlds... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Sports

September 1973 (Revised October 1980)
Case

Sea Pines Racquet Club

By: W. Earl Sasser

The student is required to develop a strategy for a tennis club of a large resort area. The tennis director must decide how many courts he needs to build within the next three years, what surface they should have, and how much he should charge for their use.... View Details

Keywords: Price; Service Operations; Organizations; Performance Capacity; Planning; Strategy; Accommodations Industry; Sports Industry

25 Apr 2014
Video

Bob McNutt - Making A Difference

July 2008 (Revised September 2010)
Case

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour (A)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Kaitlyn Simpson

Larry Scott, the new CEO of the Women's Tennis Association, arrives amidst turmoil. Players and tournaments clash over opposing interests. As a result, the board members who represent them are equally divided and feel conflicted about their role. They aren't sure how... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Leadership; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Conflict of Interests; Cooperation; Sports Industry

Find at Harvard

09 Jun 2021
News

How Tennis, Golf, and White Anxiety Block Racial Integration

24 Jul 2012
News

Necessity Really Does Mother Invention

09 Sep 2014
News

It Can Wait – Why We're Such Fantastic Procrastinators

February 1999
Case

Sports Agents: Is There a Firm Advantage?

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Brian R. Harris

Focuses on the decision of a young tennis player on what kind of agent to have as his representative. The choice is between someone in a large sports management/marketing firm and an independent agent representing a small number of individual athletes. Outlines the... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Knowledge Management; Marketing Communications; Marketing Strategy; Organizational Structure