The European tennis family today said farewell to one of the most influential figures in the administration of the sport in this region, as Horst Klosterkemper was laid to rest in his home town of Düsseldorf. He was 87.
Mr. Klosterkemper was a pivotal figure throughout the first decades of the European Tennis Association, and his contribution was immense. A member of the ‘European Working Group’ that tasked itself with galvanising support for the creation of a European governing body in the early 1970s, Mr. Klosterkemper was elected to the first Board of Management following the official creation of the federation in May 1975. He remained on the Board until 2005, the longest tenure in the organisation’s history. He also served one year as Acting President, when Francesco Ricci Bitti stood down due to his election as President of the International Tennis Federation.
During the 1980s and 1990s he was also Chair of the Men’s Tennis Committee, which oversaw the creation and running of the Satellite and Challenger circuits in Europe. Beyond his work with Tennis Europe, he was the driving force behind the Nations Cup and later the ATP World Team Cup in Düsseldorf, serving as its long-time tournament director, and later held senior office with ATP Europe, to mention just a few of his roles.
Magnus Grönvold, Tennis Europe Chief Executive Officer, commented, “It was with great sadness that we learned of Horst’s passing. Myself, and many senior members of staff have fond memories of working with Horst, who was always ready to provide support with a smile and some sage advice. He will be greatly missed by Tennis Europe, and the rest of the European tennis family.”