Oracle unveils Oracle US Tennis Awards for young professionals

INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle Corp. today announced the creation of the Oracle US Tennis Awards, player grants that are to be awarded annually at the BNP Paribas Open to assist young American players as they transition from college into the professional ranks.

The two $100,000 grants are to be awarded each year at the BNP Paribas Open to a male and female professional who have demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and an aptitude for success on the pro tour. They must have played collegiate tennis prior to turning professional.

"Making the transition from college to the professional ranks is a real challenge,'' said Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. "We hope these awards will provide young players with support to develop their games and improve their mental and physical fitness. Our goal is to grow the program and we invite input and support from other companies who are committed to U.S. athletics.''

The awards will be administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the governing body of college tennis.

"The ITA is proud of our partnership with Oracle," said ITA CEO Timothy Russell. "Together we are growing the brand of college tennis and enhancing student-athlete experiences, and in doing so helping to return the leaders of tomorrow in America and around the world."

Recipients will be selected by the newly created Oracle US Tennis Awards Advisory Council, a six-member body that includes individuals committed to the growth and improvement of American tennis. The inaugural members of the Advisory Council are:

Chris Evert:  Former singles world No. 1; current ESPN tennis commentator; co-founder of Evert Tennis Academy. 

Ilana Kloss: Former singles world No. 19; commissioner of Mylan World Team Tennis.

Peggy Michel: three-time grand slam doubles champion; played college tennis at Arizona State; current Assistant Tournament Director & Vice President of Sales at the BNP Paribas Open.

Dr. Timothy Russell: CEO ITA; college educator for three decades.

Martin Blackman: General Manager, USTA Player Development; played college tennis at Stanford.

Todd Martin: former singles world #4; CEO International Tennis Hall of Fame and Tournament Director, Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open; played college tennis at Northwestern University.

"The transition into professional tennis is a great challenge that I experienced myself. The grants will be a great help to these young athletes,'' said Todd Martin. "It's great to see a company like Oracle step up to support American tennis.''

Added Chris Evert: "The people at Oracle understand that becoming a top player requires a strong support system. We are confident that these awards will help some young players through those daunting early years on the tour.''

About Oracle
Oracle offers a comprehensive and fully integrated stack of cloud applications and platform services. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.

About The ITA
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow. As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA oversees men's and women's varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College divisions. The ITA administers a comprehensive awards and rankings program for men's and women's varsity players, coaches and teams in all divisions, providing recognition for their accomplishments on and off the court. For more information on the ITA, visit the ITA website at www.itatennis.com, like the ITA on Facebook or follow @ITA_Tennis on Twitter and Instagram.

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