Tennis Auckland Tournament Director elected to the WTA Tournament Council
Tennis Auckland Tournament Director, Karl Budge, has been elected to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tournament
Council as the Asia Pacific Tier 3 Representative.
The appointment sees Budge becoming the voice of more than 10 tournaments in the Asia/Pacific Region, from the Middle
East and Japan through to New Zealand and Australia, advocating for them on the global stage. Tennis Auckland now has
representatives on both the Men’s and Women’s international councils.
“This is a great endorsement of both Karl’s ability and enthusiasm for the tour and our tournament standing,” says
Tennis Auckland Chief Executive, Robyn Kiddle.
“For a small country in a global sport, we are certainly leaving our mark on the governance of the professional tours,
which is fantastic.”
As well as acting as a voice for Asia Pacific tournaments, Karl will also represent these tournaments when it comes to
tour operations decisions such as calendars, scheduling, commercialisation and the like.
“It gives us a voice on the international stage and allows us to be involved in key decisions that affect our crown
jewel events . However mostly it is about being in a better position to develop the Women’s game.”
“As the lead global women’s sport we have a very strong platform with truly iconic stars. I look forward to being part
of driving it forward,” says Budge,
Budge has spent seven years working in elite tennis with roles at the Australian Open as Sponsorship Manager before two
years at the WTA as Director of Sales and Marketing, during which he spent a year in Beijing responsible for all
commercial rights in the Asia Pacific Region. He has been the Tournament Director for ASB Classic and Heineken Open
since August last year.
Karl will attend his first Council Meeting in New York prior to the U.S Open this month.
ENDS