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“The interesting challenge now is getting someone who might have a different vision for the tournaments, about how they might be run in the future.” There wouldn’t be anyone in New Zealand who has the connections Budge has to recruit top players. Budge worked for the WTA and Tennis Australia before coming to Tennis Auckland, so already had a bulging contact book.
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Last year s ASB Classic men s finalist Benoit Paire, with Tennis Auckland chairman Simon Vannini. So Vannini confirmed they’ll look to recruit someone from overseas for part of Budge’s job. “For the key part of the tournament director role, around recruiting players, that’s someone we’re likely to look overseas for, because there are a number of tournament directors overseas who might be interested in a role here,” he said.
Press Release – ASB Classic
ASB Classic Tournament Director, Karl Budge, has confirmed that he will be stepping down from his current role at the end of March.
Budge has been in the role for nine years during which time he has led the tournament through a period of unprecedented growth in terms of attendance, revenue, international coverage and transformed the ASB Classic into the must attend event on the Auckland social calendar.
During his time at the helm tennis fans have seen some of the biggest names in world sport take to centre court at the ASB Tennis Arena, including Ana Ivanovic, Juan Martin del Porto, Venus Williams, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka and 2020 champion Serena Williams.