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INDUSTRY NEWS
Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) is sad to inform the
tennis world of the passing of its founder, former chairman and president, Dennis Van der Meer.
After a lengthy illness, Van der Meer passed quietly July 27 with his loving wife, Pat, by his side.
He was 86.
“Dennis was a mentor, friend, educator and advocate for countless tennis coaches around the
world,” said Dan Santourm, PTR CEO. “Dennis embodied the PTR mantra - he truly Made a World
of Diff erence.”
Indeed, Van der Meer dedicated his life to tennis, more importantly to coaching. He was the
teacher among teachers, constantly seeking information on biomechanics, methodology and tech-
niques. As an innovator in the fi eld of tennis education, Van der Meer believed in sharing knowl-
edge.
During the early stages of PTR, known then as USPTR, Van der Meer found that only limited edu-
cational materials existed for tennis teaching professionals. So, he set about to provide a series of
handbooks and manuals by assembling the fi nest educators to write on their areas of expertise.
To compliment the vast collection of written materials, he produced a large number of videos illus-
trating teaching techniques. Since the mid-1970s, hundreds of thousands worldwide have learned
to teach tennis in ways developed by Dennis Van der Meer.
“The industry lost a legend this week,” said Karl Hale, PTR Board President. “Dennis did more for
the growth of tennis and coaching education than any one individual in the history of the game.”
Van der Meer also touched countless lives through his Standard Method of teaching, World Class
Academy and TennisUniversity. The boy who grew up traveling through African villages with mis-
sionary parents became a coach so renowned that Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Amanda
Coetzer and others, sought his expertise.
Although tennis lost an icon, he will live on in generations of tennis coaches and players to come.
Known for his uncanny ability to remember the name of everyone he met, his name will live on in
our hearts. Dennis Van der Meer’s legacy will live on forever.
PTR is the largest global organization of tennis teaching professionals with more than 16,300
members in 125 countries. It has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of
any such organization. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and servicing tennis teachers and
coaches around the world in order to grow the game.
The Laver Cup and the ATP announced an agreement that will make the annual
men's team event—which pits Europe against a team of players from the rest of the world—an
offi cial part of the ATP Tour calendar. The agreement gives the event, now approaching its third
competition in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 20-22, access to ATP services, such as marketing and
social media, along with operational personnel such as offi cials.
“The Laver Cup team is incredibly excited. It has always been our hope to build the Laver Cup in
partnership with the tennis world, and certifi cation by the ATP after only two editions is an
overwhelming validation of our vision,” says Tony Godsick, president and CEO of
TEAM8, and chairman of the Laver Cup.
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ERSA PRO STRINGER // ISSUE 6-2019