Har-Tru introduces ‘Be One with the Clay’
April 2, 2014
Charlottesville, Va. — Har-Tru Sports (Har-Tru) and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) are excited to team up for the second year of the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge. New this year, the Wild Card Challenge will coincide with Har-Tru’s new “Be One with the Clay” contest.
The “Be One with the Clay” video contest is designed to empower tennis players and enthusiasts around the world to share stories about how their love of tennis, particularly tennis on clay courts, and this has been enhanced by the power of playing and training on clay. Players will share their stories at beonewiththeclay.com and Har-Tru will produce a video surrounding the top stories then release the finalists’ videos to the public for voting. The contest winner will receive a trip-for-two to the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa (marriott.com/hotels/fact-sheet/travel/ctdca-jw-marriott-desert-springs-resort-and-spa). The contest is now open and will close May 31; voting period will take place between June 17 through July 6 and winner will be announced July 7.
In addition to being the first company to launch a campaign that will feature tennis players’ passion for clay through “Be One with the Clay,”
Har-Tru was the title sponsor of the USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge in 2013 as part of a three-year sponsorship with the USTA.
“Think of how many junior players have dreamed about playing even just one match in a Grand Slam tournament. We’re very excited that Har-Tru gets to foster that dream through our involvement with the USTA Pro Circuit series held on our surface.” Pat Hanssen, general manager of Har-Tru Sports, said. “We are also energized about providing interesting ways for fans of the game to connect. The “Be One with the Clay” contest we are introducing this year does just that, by providing avid tennis players a creative and fun opportunity to share their passion for the game and to share stories about what playing on clay has done for them.
The Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge consists of six events (three men’s and three women’s) in which the American man and American woman who earn the most ATP and WTA points receive a wild card into the 2014 French Open. Last year, Alex Kuznetsov and Shelby Rogers earned French Open wild cards, with Rogers winning her first-ever Grand Slam match there.
Brian Earley, Director of the USTA Pro Circuit, noted, “The USTA Pro Circuit’s mission is to develop world-class American tennis players, and we are proud to again team with Har-Tru, a valuable provider in clay courts, this year in the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge.” Earley added, “Competing on clay courts develops strong, all-around players, and this Challenge gives American players the opportunity to develop their games on clay, while also allowing them the chance to compete for a spot in the French Open—the world’s most prestigious clay-court tournament. The wild card challenge is a great asset to our 2014 season.”
The USTA Pro Circuit, in its 35th year, is the pathway to the Grand Slam events and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge and the release of “Be One with the Clay” #beonewiththeclay contest will re-energize tennis fans and players about the love for the game, while promoting the opportunity for one American man and one American woman to gain entry to the main draw at the 2014 French Open.
The Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge can be followed at USTAHarTruWC.com.
More information on Har-Tru’s “Be One with the Clay” campaign can be found at beonewiththeclay.com.
More about “Be One with the Clay” campaign
Har-Tru wants to know how tennis has played a role in improving your life, relationships and/or community. Why do you play on clay? What fuels your passion for tennis? The contestant submitting the winning story/video will be awarded a trip-for-two to a top tennis resort destination. Visit BeOnewiththeClay.com for contest entry details.
More about Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge events
USTA Pro Circuit Women’s Events
USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Events
More about the USTA Pro Circuit
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2014, the USTA Pro Circuit provides players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. Mardy Fish, Maria Sharapova, John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Sam Querrey, Victoria Azarenka and Andy Murray are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.
More about Har-Tru Sports
Har-Tru Sports is based in Charlottesville, Va., and is the leading provider of clay courts, court consultation, lighting and court accessories in the tennis industry. With a focus on developing champions worldwide, Har-Tru Sports, one of the business divisions operated by Luck Companies, is best known for its Har-Tru brand of clay courts and uses its products, knowledge, advocacy and passion to further the development of tennis champions around the world. The company’s global expansion includes courts in Australia and China and a focus on innovative green technology to provide world-class products. For more information visit hartru.com.