Ivo Kaderka was elected as the eighth President of Tennis Europe in Luxembourg in 2021. A resident of Prague in the Czech Republic, Mr. Kaderka has served as the President of the Czech Tennis Association since 1997, during which time the central European nation has established itself as one of the true powerhouses of European tennis, accumulating 2 Davis Cup and 6 Billie Jean King Cup titles, and supporting a seemingly endless stream of talented junior players on their way to the very top of the sport.
With Mr. Kaderka and the current Tennis Europe Board of Management into the final months of their electoral term, we took this opportunity to ask him to reflect on the past three years…
As we reach the end of your mandate, how successful do you think you have been in achieving your goals?
I am happy with all the things that we have achieved. We have managed to secure more sponsors than ever before, we have more tournaments than ever, we’ve undertaken a complete review of our governance, and we have a unified, productive Board of Management.
When I was elected as President, Tennis Europe had some divisions and my priority was to ensure the unity of the European tennis family, and to restore the spirit of cooperation, which had got a bit lost. I feel that we are much more united now, working hard and looking to the future together. Not only is the Board of Management unified, but I feel that the nations too are working increasingly closely together. Ultimately, Tennis Europe is a community, a family, and this was my goal – to ensure a strong, united family.
What would you say have been the major successes?
Through the COVID relief fund and our President’s Fund, we’ve been able to provide rapid relief to nations that were struggling. But we have also brought a lot of new ideas to the table in this term. At the last AGM, the nations voted to implement our new, modern constitution and Code of Ethics. This is a great step forward for Tennis Europe, and I must acknowledge the role of Jordi Tamayo De Winne, plus the support of the ITF and legal experts from our member nations. We’ve introduced a Gender Equality Committee and implemented a gender quota to the Board of Management. There are now also fixed seats for smaller nations on the Board.
On a business level, we’ve managed to secure several new sponsors and to renew our agreements with existing ones, despite the challenging financial times. We established the Tennis Europe Academy in Prostejov which has been a great support for developing nations. We’ve created high profile events, like the 12 & Under Festival at the Rafa Nadal Academy and have given a new lease of life to others, such as the Junior Masters in Monte-Carlo, which goes from strength to strength. We’ve invested heavily in digitalisation and have produced a world class app with live scoring and live streaming from the Junior Tour.
What were some of the challenges?
Early on, we faced some unprecedented times. Nobody could have predicted something like the COVID pandemic, it changed everything – the way we work and interact. Like all organisations, we had to adapt quickly, and I think we managed. Then came the terrible war in Ukraine. There were many decisions to be taken, more cancellations and venue changes, such as shifting the European Junior Championships first to Prerov, in Czech Republic, and then to its new home in Parma, Italy.
With this Board, you introduced a new approach, assigning specific roles and responsibilities to each Board member. Why?
Well, I think that division of labour is very important. The current Board is very diverse in terms of experience and knowledge. They are leaders in their fields, so I think it was a very good decision, I would like to continue with that. Shortly after the last election, we consulted with member nations to enquire about their needs and expectations and this ongoing dialogue has informed all subsequent decisions. With each committee Chair responsible for a group of experts from member nations, I believe we have achieved an intersection of the highest possible democracy and the highest possible professionalism. We have done our best to ensure that as many nations as possible are represented and involved.
Our Stakeholder Engagement Task Force, which is led by Roger Davids, is a perfect example of how we have been listening closely to our members, with a series of interactive workshops that have been appreciated by all. The Gender Equality Committee, led by Florence Alix-Gravellier, has been groundbreaking for Tennis Europe and long overdue. Cem Tinaz, the Development Committee Chair, has taken the lead on preparing guidelines for member nations on topics including Sustainability and Diversity and Inclusion. These are just a few examples - all the Board members have had their own tasks and responsibilities, and all have delivered, I am very proud of their contributions.
You mentioned the President’s Fund, which was established to enable Tennis Europe to provide grants to member nations in need for specific projects. What has been the reaction to this Fund?
We’ve had very strong, appreciative feedback. I have many telephone calls and messages from federations, particularly smaller federations who are under pressure and need all the resources they can get. I promised in my first speech as president that one of my priorities would be to find extra income to support this, and I am happy to say that we managed. In the past couple of months, we’ve been able to provide grants to 22 of the 32 eligible nations to assist with all kinds of projects.
You’ve been the President of Czech Tennis for 26 years and are now completing a first term as Tennis Europe President. What motivates you to continue?
I can only explain it like this: I wake up in the morning thinking about tennis, and I go to sleep at night thinking about tennis. It’s my life. I feel that I have a lot of energy, and I want to help everybody in European tennis as much as I can. As President, I have been able to make a difference, and to help many European nations in their daily work. It’s true that I have had very good results in the Czech Republic: we are a small country with a small economy, but a very strong federation and I think that this experience allows me to bring a lot to Tennis Europe, which also must be strong.
What is your vision for the future of Tennis Europe?
We have a clear strategy, and I set out to achieve reasonable things: more help to small nations, to work closely with the ITF, to continue the development of the sport, to keep strengthening junior tennis with new competitions and innovations. And of course, the most important part – to generate more income for the organisation. I’m a positive thinker with a lot of positive energy and blessed to have perfect colleagues and friends. Thanks to their support we are a very strong team and I’d like to continue to work to ensure that a united Europe is the strongest region in the tennis world.
Above: Tennis Europe Board of Management 2021-2024 (left to right), Dietloff von Arnim, President Ivo Kaderka, Razvan Itu, Cem Tinaz, Florence Alix-Grevallier, CEO Thomas Hammerl, Nikolina Babic, Giorgio Di Palermo, Jordi Tamayo De Winne (not pictured, Roger Davids).