Remembering John Beddington, longtime tennis administrator
John Beddington, the longtime tennis administrator who was one of the first tournament directors of the event that is now called the Nitto ATP Finals, passed away last week aged 83.
For more than five decades, Beddington was a key figure in the sport who shaped many, including the best players in the world and children in need. From laying the groundwork for some of the sport’s biggest events to giving back to the community, he has left tennis far greater than he found it.
Beddington was tournament director of the Commercial Union Grand Prix Masters from 1972 through 1976, and later played a critical role in Barclays becoming the title sponsor of the tournament when it moved to The O2 in London.
Three years later, Beddington became Executive Vice President of Tennis Canada and remained with the organisation until 1995. He was tournament director for what is now the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.
In that capacity, Beddington not only built one of the best tournaments in the world — it is now an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event — but left a positive impression on the biggest stars in the sport.
Ivan Lendl, a former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, won the Canadian event six times between 1980 and 1989.
“I got to know John through the Canadian Open. We stayed in touch over the years,” Lendl said. “John was a great guy, I always enjoyed seeing him at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. John did a fantastic job in Toronto and Montreal. I appreciated his wicked sense of humor and was very sad to hear about John’s passing.”
Valerie Tetreault, Vice President of Communications, Professional Events and Tournament Director of the National Bank Open in Montreal, said that everyone associated with Tennis Canada and Canadian tennis mourns Beddington’s passing.
“The word trailblazer is sometimes used too often, but in John’s case it is absolutely fitting. He dedicated his life to the growth of our sport both in Canada and on a global level,” Tetreault. “His influence on our flagship WTA and ATP 1000 tournaments, the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto and Montreal, cannot be understated and their growth into the prestigious, world-renowned events they are today is in large part down to him.
“His legacy in Canadian tennis is enormous, and he will be remembered for the incredible footprint he leaves behind on our sport.”
Two years ago, Beddington was honoured at Wimbledon by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation with the Golden Achievement 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,” Beddington said at the time. “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.”
Beddington also was a co-founder of the longtime ATP Champions Tour event held at Royal Albert Hall in London and helped launch countless other tournaments.
Throughout his time in the sport, Beddington raised close to £2 million for charity, supporting several causes and organisations, including Give It Your Max, for which he was patron. The goal was to try to keep kids off the street and instead introduce them to sport.
Give It Your Max posted on Instagram: “John’s kindness, vision, and enthusiasm will be deeply missed, but his impact on the tennis world – and on the lives he helped to change through our programmes – will continue to be felt for many years to come.”
Beddington is survived by his wife, Roseann Madden Beddington, and his sons, David Paul Madden Beddington and James Edward Beddington.
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