Samprasfanz

[Tennis Week 05/23/2003]

In a shocking surprise, Pete Sampras has withdrawn his endorsement and participation in the $130 million Home Depot Center currently under construction on the campus of California State University in Carson, California.

To date, no reasons have been given for Sampras’ withdrawal.

Owned by AEG, the Home Depot Center is an 85-acre sports campus complex that had planned to host the Pete Sampras Tennis Academy, which was supposed to provide training programs and instruction for players of all skill levels as well as serve as a full-time training center for touring pros and players preparing to play on the pro tour.

What will happen to the roles carved out at AEG for former adidas executive Ryan McCauley and Sampras’ coach, Paul Annacone, is unclear.

Scheduled to open this summer, the complex will serve as the home of the USTA’s new USA Tennis High Performance national training center and feature a 13,000-seat tennis stadium as well as 36 new or renovated courts. In addition to serving as a tennis center, the complex will offer a 27,000-seat soccer stadium, a 20,000-seat track and field stadium and facilities for baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball. The site will also be the home of the U.S. soccer federation.

A leading sports and entertainment production company, AEG is a subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation, which owns or controls companies and facilities such as the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, The Forum, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, six MLS franchises and six hockey teams in Europe. The USA Tennis High Performance center is the product of a partnership between the USTA and AEG.