Young Guns Contest Season 2
May 17, 2016
As part of the On The Road to the ATP World Tour program, Tecnifibre created in 2015 the first Young Guns Contest, a unique project in the world of tennis. After a strong, successful campaign in 2015, the brand has decided to launch the 2016 contest!
The Young Guns is a 4 month contest where 4 young rookies on the pro circuit will compete for a cash prize of $50 000, which is a real stepping stone in order for them to reach their goals: to reach and stamp their authority in the Top 100 rankings! In 2015, American Denis Kudla won the inaugural contest.
Performance and social potential
This year, Gregoire Barrere (22 years old – 216 ATP) from France, Mitchell Krueger (22 years old – 239 ATP), Omar Jasika (19 ans – 267 ATP – US Open junior winner in 2014) from Australia and Daniil Medvedev (20 years old – 244 ATP) from Russia will be evaluated on 2 criterias: their results on the court, and also their ability to share their life on the pro circuit.
Media training and social Networking
Communicating is now part of a Top player’s career. To bring out the best of their “social potential” and to better understand the principle of “Personal Branding”, the Young Guns were able to undertake media training and social network lectures during the “On The Road Camp” which took place in Cannes, in May. They were able to acquire the necessary knowledge in order to manage their communication and their relation with the media, and to learn about the right language to pass on the right message. They are now ready to take off and embark on the contest on and off the court, to fight for the $50 000 which for a player of this level accounts for nearly 2/3 of their expenses per season.
Gregoire Barrere, the French player in the contest is “200% motivated”: “It is a great challenge and this cash prize is an important amount. Even though I am lucky enough to receive some funding from the federation, this amount will for example allow me to increase my team to a physio at certain periods of the season. This contest is also an opportunity to be more professional in communications and to become closer to the people who follow and support me on tour. To work on self-branding is now part of the sport”.
His rival, American Mitchell Krueger vows to do his best: “It is opportunity to strike gold! To win this contest will ease my entry into the big leagues! The way to win this cash prize won’t be easy, I will need to plan out carefully and be smart on the social networks”.
New for 2016
Each player this year will have the support of a top player who will play the role of a mentor. The leader of Team Tecnifibre, Jeremy Chardy, is extremely motivated in helping out bring the cash prize to compatriot Gregoire Barrere “I am supporting Greg and I will take my role extremely seriously! We are a team! He told me that I bring him luck because the week after we practised together at the OTR camp, he won a futures tournament in Angers. He’s on a streak, he’s playing well! We will also try and push his image on the social network sites. We’re going to fight until the end!”
Mitchell Krueger will be getting help from last year’s contest winner Denis Kudla. Omar Jasika will be mentored by fellow countryman John Millman and Aljaz Bedene will be supporting Daniil Medvedev.
The winner’s cheque will be presented by the Presidents of Tecnifibre and the ATP in November 2016, in London at the ATP Barclays World Tour Finals.
For Tecnifibre, the Young Guns Contest is a marketing investment which is based upon the values of the brand and which also expresses its close partnership with the ATP.