Brad Gilbert Will Run For Justin Gimelstob's Seat On The ATP Board, May Spare The ATP Some Actual Decisions

Brad Gilbert, tennis world fixture, ESPN analyst, and high-volume tweeter, announced yesterday that he will run for a position on the ATP Board of Directors currently occupied by Justin Gimelstob.

Gimelstob, who has served as the Americas representative on the board since June 2008, has lasted quite a while in powerful perches despite a long history of alleged violence. (It helps, of course, to have people happy to launder your image in the paper of record without any disclosure of possible conflict in interest.) Gimelstob’s current term on the ATP board concludes at the end of the year, and an imminent vote will determine who holds the position at the start of 2020. The 10-man Player Council—which includes former Gimelstob coaching client John Isner, and Canadian player Vasek Pospisil, who recently complimented Gimelstob’s service before revising his claim—will vote for their representatives on May 14.

Though several candidates are rumored to be entering the mix, Gilbert, a former top player, coach, and broadcast mainstay, is by far the most prominent. It’s worth noting that a win by Gilbert would likely serve the interests of lots of people not named Brad Gilbert. Should Gilbert sweep Gimelstob out of his seat, it might save the ATP the trouble of actually grappling with Gimelstob’s troubling history head-on. The ATP Board itself had the option to oust Gimelstob in December and decided not to. Now it will be seen whether the players opt to vote him out and do their dirty work for them.