Players Go Back To School With ATP University

Eighteen-year-old Taylor Fritz felt like he was in school again.

The American hung out with his peers. They sat in classrooms and learned from “teachers” and guest speakers. And they had some fun.

Fritz and 15 other ATP World Tour players from 10 countries recently participated in ATP University, an opportunity for players to learn about important topics facing their careers. The ATP World Tour hosts the three-day educational session twice a year to inform the players about ATP World Tour operations and equip them with knowledge they’ll need for a productive life on tour.

At the recent ATP University, which was held in Miami, the players learned about 14 specific topics, including anti-corruption, anti-doping, giving back and an introduction to saving and investing.

“I think it was a great experience,” said Matwe Middelkoop of the Netherlands. “There was so much that I didn’t know before attending… Now we can use what we learned to spread the knowledge to the other players on tour.”

Middelkoop, No. 52 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, and any other player in his first year of ATP World Tour Division I membership must attend ATP University. Division I membership is open to any singles player ranked inside the Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and to any doubles player ranked in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings.

Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund, No. 87 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, said he knew some of the information that was presented but still found the sessions useful to reinforce what he knew. “The anti-corruption presentation was very interesting,” Edmund said.

ATP University also featured some fun for the players. They saw the Charlotte Hornets take on NBA star Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.

“It was an informative experience,” said Fritz, No. 81 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “It is definitely something that every player should do coming up.”