As fans flock to the web to devour stories about their favorite players, where they get their information from is becoming a sticky issue.
The world of technology has long played a part in the evolution of pro tennis. The sweet spots on racquets are ever expanding, better strings provide extra spin and power, and line-calling has become computerized. But these are all on-court benefits. Now, thanks to the Internet, technology is having a major impact off the court as well. Live professional matches can be streamed right to your desktop, and you can find tons of news, photos, videos, and discussion boards devoted to your favorite players with just quick a scan of the Web.
To put their best face forward, a large chunk of the top players have created their own official websites. Everyone from Roger Federer to his Swiss counterpart, George Bastl, ranked 141 spots below Federer, has one, and the list continues to grow. While these sites have added credibility, they’re also well-oiled public-relations machines, sanitizing their messages to protect their clients’ privacy and promote their marketability.
Unofficial sites, the cyber-equivalent of the fan clubs of yesteryear, are even more numerous, and many times more informative than their official rivals. They’re not restricted by anything, and they possess a limitless worldwide staff—the fans—who capture newsworthy or gossipy tidbits to share, around the clock. For example, when paparazzi photographs of Rafael Nadal and his girlfriend were picked up by Spanish papers, they were also immediately posted on Nadal’s No. 1 fan site, vamosrafael.com, which, according to alexa.com, a site that tracks traffic on the Web, is the most visited men’s tennis player site, outranking the official sites of both Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.
Though a synergistic collaboration between official sites and fan sites makes sense, the proposition is more successful in theory than in practice. The prime example so far has been the case of the dueling Nadal websites, vamosrafael.com and rafaelnadal.com. Once the official Nadal site launched, the star player and his management team no longer cooperated with vamosrafael.com. The feuding caused a lawsuit and the ATP had to step in to maintain civility between the two parties. Around the U.S. Open the two sides decided to settle their differences and merge sites.
Other instances demonstrate that a healthy partnership is possible. Three years ago, Bob and Mike Bryan ditched their official website to join forces with a Michigan-based fan site, which was simultaneously hosting fans of the chest-bumping duo. And for the all the star power Maria Sharapova boasts, she only recently launched her official website, at the U.S. Open. Her management company, IMG, recruited help from the most popular Sharapova fan site, mariaworld.net, to assist with the content.
To many, this drama is trivial and blown out of proportion. After all, should it matter how fans get their information or express their adulation for their favorite players? Well, think about this: As the legions of fans that flood these sites continue to grow, cornering the market could mean major dollars in terms of advertising and marketing.
Technology may have changed many things in professional tennis, but turning a profit will never go out of style.