USTA To Donate $500,000 From US Open Proceeds Toward American Red Cross Hurricane Relief

Effort to Include On-Air Player Messages on CBS Sports and USA Network; On-Site Fundraising at National Tennis Center

WASHINGTON, Sunday, September 04, 2005 — FLUSHING, N.Y., September 1, 2005 – The USTA today announced that it will donate $500,000 from US Open proceeds toward the American Red Cross hurricane relief effort for affected communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The donation is at the foundation of a multi-tiered effort at the US Open to assist those affected in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The USTA is working with players and the sport’s governing bodies on other initiatives to assist in the relief effort.

In conjunction with US Open broadcasters CBS Sports and USA Network, the USTA will air special messages from top players and legends during US Open telecasts to encourage viewer support for the relief effort. The USTA also will donate commercial time regarding the effort within US Open television broadcasts to the national audience of 85 million fans expected to watch the US Open on television.

In addition, the USTA will air public service announcements in Arthur Ashe Stadium and around the grounds of the USTA National Tennis Center for the duration of the US Open, informing the 600,000 fans in attendance of ways to become part of the recovery effort. Donations will be accepted at the US Open beginning Labor Day weekend through the conclusion of the tournament.

This is expected to be the first step of a broader relief effort from the tennis community, including the USTA’s 665,000 members, the ITF, ATP and WTA Tour, to come to the aid of hurricane victims -- using the platform of the US Open to encourage fans to join the effort to raise additional funds.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. It owns and operates the US Open, the largest annually attended sporting event in the world and, in 2004, launched the US Open Series which links 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. A not-for-profit organization with more than 665,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grassroots to the professional levels. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.