The ATP Tour men’s tennis circuit has named former Premier Padel boss Eno Polo as its new chief executive to replace Massimo Cavelli, who stepped down at the end of June.
Polo, who has served as a player representative on the ATP Board of Directors, will step into the role “with immediate effect” to lead the ATP alongside the organization’s president, Andrea Gaudenzi, who has been in office since 2020.
Specifically, the ATP said Polo will “oversee the ATP's global operations and continue to drive OneVision – a transformative plan designed to grow the sport, elevate fan engagement, and deliver long-term value for players, tournaments and partners across the tour.”
Polo is a former tennis player who played in the Davis Cup teams tournament representing Kenya and reached a career high ranking of 574 in the 1990s.
However, since retiring from professional tennis, his sports business resume has included a 14-year tenure at sportswear giant Nike, including as general manager of Juventus Merchandising, as well as stints at apparel company Global Brands Group, soccer governing body FIFA, and, most recently, as chief executive of the top-tier Premier Padel competition.
Gaudenzi said: “Eno is a dynamic and accomplished leader who understands both the commercial landscape and the intricacies of professional tennis. His tenure on the ATP Board has given him direct insight into the sport’s challenges and opportunities.”
As chief executive, Polo will also be involved with the ATP’s search for a new chief sporting officer after Ross Hutchins announced he will step down from the role next month to become the International Tennis Federation’s new chief executive.
Polo’s appointment comes five months after Cavelli announced his departure, having led the men’s tour for over five years. Before joining the ATP, he was a senior executive at the US sportswear giant Nike.
The announcement came amid the ATP - alongside other global tennis governing bodies – coming under legal attack by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA), the body co-founded in 2020 by men's tennis icon Novak Djokovic.
A 163-page lawsuit was filed at the US District Court in New York in mid-March by the PTPA as well as 12 specific players, criticising the current tennis schedule and ranking systems (among other elements).
It has been claimed that the various bodies engage in “anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare."
The ATP has defended itself, saying it “strongly rejects the premise of the PTPA's claims,” which it has said are “entirely without merit.”
The lawsuit is essentially looking for an end to control of the tennis calendar by the ATP, the women’s WTA, and the International Tennis Federation, as well as financial compensation from those bodies and the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
