John Beddington honoured with Golden Achievement Award by ITF and ITHF
In recognition of an impactful career in tennis leadership that has spanned five decades and numerous continents, Great Britain's John Beddington has been named as the recipient of the 2023 Golden Achievement Award.
The Golden Achievement Award is presented annually by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and International Tennis Federation to a person who has made significant contributions internationally to our sport in the fields of administration, promotion, development, or education and has devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.
Beddington was presented with the award on Saturday 15 July 2023 in a special ceremony at the All England Lawn Tennis Club attended by Beddington’s colleagues, family, and friends.
“I am privileged to receive this award and am grateful to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and International Tennis Federation for this honour,” said Beddington. “I have been fortunate to have had a very long career in tennis and was lucky to be around when tennis went open in 1968. I’m thankful for the tremendous mentors, colleagues, and great friends I’ve made around the world in the sport over the years. It has been rewarding to see the sport thrive globally and I’m happy to have been able to play a role in tennis’ global development.”
ITF President David Haggerty added: “John Beddington has been an engaged and impactful global tennis leader for five decades. His work for Tennis Canada was transformative in development of the game there. He has been an effective and dedicated leader in so many roles across tennis, and his body of work and impact on tennis has been extraordinary. Our sport thrives globally because of people like John who are selfless in the promotion and development of tennis, and its pleasure to recognize John with this well-deserved award.”
"I have been fortunate to have had a very long career in tennis and was lucky to be around when tennis went open in 1968"
Among his many notable contributions to the sport, Beddington served as Executive Vice President of Tennis Canada for two decades, during which time the nation experienced tremendous growth across all levels of the sport. Additionally, Beddington has served tennis as tournament director, player representative, innovator, volunteer, and in numerous other roles that have made a lasting impact on the sport globally.
Paramount among Beddington’s many accomplishments in tennis was the transformative work he did for the sport in Canada. During his two decades in leadership with Tennis Canada in the 1980s and 90s, Beddington put the country on the map as a top tennis destination for players, fans and sponsors. Over nearly two decades in leadership for Tennis Canada, Beddington led the development of the Canadian Open - what is known today as the National Bank Open. He created brilliant revenue generation, developed top player relationships, and established the unique model that brings both WTA and ATP tennis to Canada annually, rotating Toronto and Montreal. When Beddington retired in 1995 and still today, the National Bank Opens have become regarded as among the best tournaments in the world.
Prior to Tennis Canada, Beddintgon also served as Tournament Director of the Commercial Union Grand Prix Masters, the event now known as the ATP Finals – still one of the most significant annual showcases for tennis. Full on the other side of the globe, Beddington led the ITF Development Circuit in the Middle East, a vital program that laid the groundwork for growing the sport significantly in that region.
While Beddingon is a master of the business of tennis, he’s also never shied from using the sport for good. Over the course of his career, Beddington has been directly involved in raising nearly £2million for important charities through tennis.
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Philip Brook was presented with the 2020 Golden Achievement Award at the recent ITF World Champions Awards in London.
Brook was initially selected by the Golden Achievement Award committee in 2020, but the ceremony was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brook served as chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club from 2010 – 2019 and oversaw an unprecedented period of growth and innovation during that time.
"This award is not only for me,” he said during his acceptance speech on 8 July. “You don't do these things on your own. In the nine years I was in my leadership position, I was very fortunate to have a great team of people around me, and so this award is not only for me, but for everyone involved.”
The AELTC took bold steps during Brook's leadership, including the acquisition of a significant piece of land adjacent to the club and the start of a significant master plan, which opens the door to immense future opportunity for tennis. Additionally, Brook and the AELTC team collaborated with the Tours and the other Slams to increase the time between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, which resulted in greater opportunities for players and for the impact of the grass court season.
In addition to those major accomplishments, Brook also led the AELTC in numerous strategic initiatives including bringing broadcast services, retail, horticulture, construction management, and much more in-house, resulting in a stronger organisation overall, which all of tennis can look to for inspiration.