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The USTA announced on Monday that it is reorganizing to better support players at all levels of their competitive pathway, with Player Development, Pro Circuit, Team Events, Collegiate and Junior Competition teams now combined into a single cohesive department. The intent is to improve internal collaboration and enable the USTA to strategically direct resources where they are needed most for the benefit of the most competitive junior and professional players.

Amid the organizational changes, Martin Blackman has decided to leave the organization. Blackman is stepping down from his current position as general manager of player development, but has agreed to stay on as a special advisor through the end of the year to ease the transition.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve American tennis in this role for the last 10 years and I am grateful to the USTA for giving me that opportunity. The work that our Player Development team has done, in partnership with the private sector and the USTA Sections, has been a labor of love,” Blackman said in a statement. “I am proud that we were able to build a pathway that has supported the resurgence of American tennis, the credit for which goes first and foremost to our amazing players, and the teams surrounding them, whose commitment and work ethic have driven this progression and success.”

The USTA will be creating a new, more expansive position to lead the transformed department. A search for this leader will begin soon. Kent Kinnear and Kathy Rinaldi will continue to lead men’s and women’s tennis, respectively, under the leadership of this new position.

Along with these important organizational changes, the USTA’s recently announced Player Development Advisory Council — a group of current and former players, parents, coaches, USTA section leaders, and tournament operators — will help guide the organization’s path forward. The group remains in the early stages of its work and is expected to provide recommendations for how the USTA can further enhance its support for high-performance American players later this year.

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About Rhiannon Potkey

Rhiannon Potkey is a veteran sportswriter with more than two decades of experience in journalism. Potkey has covered many sports at many levels and has a passion for finding great stories. Potkey has covered the U.S. Open, junior sectional and national events, college conference championships and Davis Cup matches. Potkey is currently Content Strategist for Tennis Recruiting. You can reach Rhiannon by email at [email protected].