Categories
Golf Headline Sports Business Tennis

Tennis Agent Tony Godsick Leaves IMG Worldwide; Could He End Up At Excel Sports?

Roger Federer. Photo Credit: Susan Mulane-US PRESSWIRE

Tony Godsick, a tennis agent at IMG Worldwide for roughly 19 years, is no longer with the company.  IMG Worldwide also lost Roger Federer (who has won a whopping won 16 Grand Slam titles in his career) as a client along with Godsick’s departure.  However, IMG Worldwide still has hope that Federer will return as a client at some point.  Over the weekend, IMG Senior VP/Corporate Communications Jim Gallagher, stated the following to me. “We confirm that Tony Godsick has left the company.  Tony is a great guy and we thank him for his 19 years of service.  We wish him continued success in the future.  Our contract with Roger Federer has expired and we no longer represent him. Roger is an icon in the world of sports.  He is a great guy, a gentleman and an incredible champion.  We are honored to have represented him and proud of the work we did for him for many years.  We hope to do business with him again in the future.”

One sports industry veteran speaking on condition of anonymity said to me, “[IMG’s] golf division has imploded and now this.  The ship is sinking my friend.”  However, I am sure that IMG Worldwide would say otherwise based on the fact that their strategy has gradually shifted away from the representation of athletes over time.

Will Godsick end up joining the team at Excel Sports Management?  The sports agency does not currently represent any tennis players, but that is no reason to believe that Excel Sports has no interest.  Prior to Mark Steinberg (formerly director of Global Golf Business with IMG Worldwide) joining Excel Sports, the company had not represented any tennis players.  Now, Excel Sports represents Tiger Woods, Tiger’s niece Cheyenne Woods, Gary Woodland, and Matt Kuchar.  Jeff Schwartz and co. at Excel Sports may be interested in trying to snatch Godsick to build a strong tennis division the same way that Steinberg has grown a valuable golf division.  And as Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal points out, Godsick is good friends with Mark Steinberg.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.