ATP Expands Education Partner Portfolio
The ATP has partnered with three internationally acclaimed institutions to offer ATP members access to world-class education opportunities, in line with a commitment to promoting welfare and development across its membership.
The trio of new strategic partners – MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business, the University of Florida and the Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL) Academy – will offer access to subsidised courses for ATP players, tournaments, agents, alumni and coaches. Courses will be available mostly online and cover various qualification levels, subject areas and languages to reflect the breadth of requirements across the membership.
MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business, which ranks among the Top 10 globally in the Financial Times’ 2021 Online MBA Ranking for its i-Flex EMBA, will offer subsidised short courses and post-graduate degrees. Delivered in partnership with several globally renowned brands, the i-Flex EMBA is a two-year Executive MBA aimed at professionals who want to combine international studies with work commitments, with a focus on digital transformation and featuring lectures by top managers leading digital transformation in their companies.
The University of Florida, ranked within the Top 10 of U.S. public universities, will offer members the chance to enroll in any of the four online master’s programmes and graduate certificate programmes offered through its renowned College of Health & Human Performance (UFHHP). Graduate programmes include Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, Sport Management, Health Education and Behavior, Tourism and Hospitality Management, as well as a graduate certificate in Sport Event Management.
In addition, the ICL Academy, a one-of-a-kind online private school for students from grades 7-12, will allow ATP members to take flexible courses for credit and graduate with an American High School diploma, including the option for AP and IB courses, on a full-time or course-by-course basis. Through its Impact Learning Model, ICL Academy delivers world-class academics, award-winning service leadership, and world champion partners who serve as master teachers from across the sports, venture capital, entertainment and technology sectors, with Novak Djokovic, Monica Seles, Dr. Jim Loehr, Tommy Haas, Vasek Pospisil and the Bryan Brothers supporting ICL tennis initiatives.
Stephen Farrow, ATP VP Member Services, said: “Our vision is for all ATP members to have professional opportunities open to them beyond their time in tennis. Key to that is offering access to quality education that can work around life on Tour and cater to the different interests and needs of our member groups. Partnering with three world-class institutions is an exciting step for us in that process.”
John Isner, ATP player and University of Georgia graduate, said: “These new education initiatives are very important. As tennis players, we have a shelf life. We can’t play this sport and earn money forever. Being able to lean on a top-notch education after your tennis career is over will set a lot of us up very well in the future.”
The exciting new partnerships build on the ATP’s existing education portfolio which includes Coursera, University of Palermo and Indiana University East, offering members a broad range of courses in English and Spanish. The ATP has also established a number of partnerships and internal initiatives across the mental health space in recent years, in an ongoing bid to support the broader welfare of members beyond the court.