ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with the decline of amateurism and the rise of professionalism in international tennis, as it related to British-specific issues. America lost more players to early signings than any other nation, while attendances at Australia's amateur competitions suffered if there was a clash with a professional match. Depictions of professional tennis from amateur outlets were often less than balanced. After the debacle in 1938 when the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) succeeded in rejecting the eight-week rule, the Council returned after the war to vote it in by a large majority. Jean Borotra considered the proposition antagonistic to amateur tennis and counterproductive to fostering good relations; in fact, he believed Kramer was being deliberately hostile. Outside of Wimbledon and a small handful of pre-Wimbledon events, their tournaments had declined in prestige relative to their Continental and American rivals, their players and talent-development schemes were comparatively poorly funded, and their facilities needed updating.
