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The 1996-97 Nuveen Tour:
Dynamic Personalities, Intense Rivalries
By James H. DeLorenzo [Originally published as an advertising supplement in the December 1996 issue of TENNIS magazine, it was heavily edited by a colleague with a heavy (and unwelcome) editorial hand.] The name of the game is personality. The Nuveen Tour (formerly known as the Champions Tour) has it to spare. Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Guillermo Vilas and more of the top tennis players from the sport's hottest era are among the featured players as the senior tennis circuit concludes its fourth full year with the third annual Nuveen Masters, March 3-9 at the Kensington Golf & Country Club in Naples, FL. The men's over-35 professional circuit returns to the spotlight a generation of outstanding players who made great tennis synonymous with great personalities. Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Vilas and their peers are credited for not only breathing fresh air into the sport beginning in the 1970s, but for creating a worldwide surge in tennis at the grassroots level that has continued to the present. The Nuveen Masters gathers together the circuit's top performers from the 1996-97 season in Naples for the $300,000 end-of-season championship finale. "Never forget who these guys are," says Connors, still a major draw on the Nuveen Tour in his third decade of professional competition. "These are the players who put tennis on the map. They're winners of Grand Slams and major championships around the world." Not only did the Nuveen Tour players generate passion for tennis from their fans, but intense rivalries amongst themselves that have not dimmed with the passage of time. "The rivalries for all of us go back a long way but they never go away," Connors notes. "We're a lot friendlier off the court, but believe me, everyone still feels they have a score or two to settle between the lines. And that keeps it very competitive." Historic grudge-matches such as those between Connors and Vilas, or McEnroe and Borg, have been a foundation of the Nuveen Tour since its inception in 1993. But the senior circuit has helped develop new rivalries as well, specifically the heated competition between Connors and hot newcomer Andres Gomez for the top spot in the Nuveen Tour Point Standings. Gomez, who is best known for winning the 1990 French Open over Andre Agassi at the age of 30, joined the Nuveen Tour full-time in 1995. He has since won five regular-season titles on the circuit, captured the 1996 special event, "The Challenge" presented by Quality Inns, and won last year's Nuveen Masters crown as well. When Gomez collected the $40,000 winners check at the Corel Champions in Washington, DC last May, he became the first player other than Connors to stand atop the Nuveen Tour Point Standings. Connors had been #1 after 25 consecutive in the tour's first three seasons, but he found a serious challenge with Gomez this season. Throughout the 1996-97 season, Gomez and Connors split time in the lead, with Connors finally emerging the regular-season top dog after his fourth victory of the season in Houston in October. Gomez finished second overall, with three tournament titles to his credit.
But the Nuveen Tour is more than just rivalries on-court. Fans have found much to thrill about in some old favorites, but even more from players they never encountered before. For instance: *Iranian expatriate Mansour Bahrami, virtually unknown in the United States before joining the Nuveen Tour in 1994, has become a crowd-pleaser in demand at most stops on the circuit. With a vast repertoire of trick shots he mastered as a teenager, Bahrami brings out the child in tennis audiences of all ages. His competitive spirit and entertaining style belie the pain of prime career years lost to the politics of his homeland's infamous leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. *Better known in the past for his doubles play, John Lloyd has become a singles player to be reckoned with on the senior circuit. Lloyd made it to the semifinals at last year's Nuveen Masters, as well as three other tournaments in 1996, and got to his first singles final in Washington, DC last May, losing to Gomez. *While most fans remember his 1990 French Open title, Gomez never found true acclaim in the United States. But on the Nuveen Tour, the 36-year-old Ecuadorean, always a clay-court specialist, has found a new home on the circuit that's primarily played on clay. *Vilas, a legend in his native Argentina, captured four Grand Slam titles in his career. On the Nuveen Tour Vilas has continued to attract flocks of fans captivated by his style of play, as well as his musical and literary careers. The tennis champions of the Nuveen Tour also provide a welcome counterpoint to the bang-bang style of play prevalent today. With their extended volleys and finesse shots, these players hearken back to the game as fans not only can remember, but can emulate as well. At its heart, the Nuveen Tour emphasizes tennis in a fan-friendly atmosphere. That means intimate stadiums at local tennis or country clubs, with pro-ams, parties, and autograph opportunities at every turn. Sponsors enjoy the chance to mingle with greats of the game as well, a major reason why such national companies like John Nuveen & Co., U. S. News & World Report, and Cadillac have embraced the concept. So have the fans. In the last 12 months, over 272,720 fans on four continents have demonstrated that senior tennis is a vibrant and essential element for the sport's continued growth. "These seasoned pros have brought flair and excitement back into the game," comments Ray Benton, the co-founder of the Nuveen Tour. "The players have been fan favorites for years. Now the fans have a chance to see the players up close, in classic tennis settings, at a more personal level. We're taking tennis back to its roots as a club sport. It's really tennis the way it used to be -- and should be again."
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