A message for our mate, Matt Van Tuinen

Usually, to hear news from Matt Van Tuinen will elicit eager anticipation and a smile for what’s to come. For more than 20 years, Matt has been one of tennis’ most prominent and helpful public relations professionals. Most notably, he has played that role at the BNP Paribas Open, the superb ATP-WTA event held every March at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Southern California’s Coachella Valley.

Matt and his firm, MVT, have also worked on many other tennis tournaments, from the WTA event that was once held in New Haven to the ATP stop that used to be in Atlanta. Prominent sportswear firm Fila is also a longstanding MVT PR client, as are a range of organizations beyond the tennis world.

Every year since 2014, Indian Wells has been named the ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament of the year. Matt and his team are a major reason for that happening.

“Matt’s seen everything here,” said Philippe Dore, the tournament’s chief marketing officer. “He’s invaluable.”

But as 2025 began, news came from Matt that was jarring beyond belief.

Here is how Matt began his January LinkedIn post:

My whole career has been about creating and pitching stories that I believed had the potential for significant and positive impact. This time, it’s not a client’s story, but mine, which I am praying will be the most impactful of all.

And then, true to Matt’s no-nonsense, unpretentious style, he shared the news in three words:

I have ALS.

This was news beyond news. What could one say? How to begin to articulate one’s feelings about such a tragic and random occurrence? How best to extend sympathy and concern to Matt and his family? Perhaps, better yet, to take in what Matt wrote in the same post:

Since my diagnosis in April of 2024, there has been deep sadness, grief and pain. Days and weeks and months have been hard and have required more than I thought I had in me. Telling my children I have a (currently) incurable disease ranks as one of the all-time hardest things my wife and I have ever had to do. Watching my wife bear the weight of this has been excruciating. Thinking about a future potentially lost has unlocked all my tears.

But, in this journey, God has met me in such an awe-inspiring, life-changing way that I tell people I would give everything I have to be healed, but I wouldn’t trade anything for what I have experienced with God in this season.

Each day is a gift, where I can care, fight, and dedicate myself to being my absolute best, and have no fear of the outcome. Matt Van Tuinen

This is a man of inspiration and faith, courage and kindness. Jeff Watson, currently vice president of communications for the PPA Tour, was the first employee Matt hired, back in 2011.

“I fell in love with Matt as a mentor,” he said. “He is a good boss, because he challenges you to think outside what your task is.”

Jeff worked for Matt until 2014, joined the WTA for nearly three years and then returned to MVT in 2019, where he worked until 2022. By then, Matt’s firm had grown significantly. Now transformed into delegator and supervisor, manager and motivator, Matt’s responsibilities had changed. But his character endured.

“Matt has an amazing ability to be excellent not just at his career,” said Jeff, “but also look at the bigger picture in terms of how he spends time with his family and how he treats his employees.”

He was that way from the start. In early 2004, Mark Beal of Taylor Communications had been the leader of the Indian Wells PR effort for over a decade. Matt had joined Taylor a few months earlier and, in March, came to work at the tournament for the first time.

“Most of all, Matt is a great human being,” said Mark. “He is genuine. He is authentic, collaborative, and has a team player mindset.”

Two years later, as Taylor transitioned its business, the decision was made to hand the reigns to Matt.

“I was a little apprehensive,” said Dee Dee Felich, a tournament staff member from 1981 to 2016 (most recently as assistant tournament director). But swiftly, all of Dee Dee’s concerns vanished in the face of Matt’s exceptional ability to be creative, strategic and effective.

“He was a go-getter, eager to learn,” she said. “It was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Matt and I’m very proud of him.”

“I definitely consider Matt part of the WTA family,” said Amy Binder, WTA senior vice president, global communications. “Every year you go to Indian Wells, and there’s Matt with that solid, booming voice, and you have that level of familiarity and trust that’s so important during these high-stakes events.”

He has a knack for heading things off. We’ve got so many stakeholders, and he has such a great way of balancing and management all of that. Amy Binder, WTA senior vice president, global communications

A longstanding public relations executive once wrote a book titled Walking the Tightrope. As much as the PR person must gain trust with various clients, there’s also the complicated matter of satisfying the demands of media. Naturally, this can lead to conflicts, particularly when it comes to the two assets journalists value most: information and access.

The essential concern that beats through the media room at a given tournament: Will the PR person truly seek to understand the needs of journalists—some who cover the sport frequently, others there for just this one event? When push comes to shove, will the PR person accurately articulate, or even advocate for, the specifics of a particular request? Having written about tennis for more than 40 years and also spent a decade as a public relations executive, I’ve interacted with dozens of practitioners.

Matt doesn’t merely walk the tightrope. He has dashed across it, as smoothly as any public relations person I’ve ever known. In the fast-paced environment of a single tournament, the PR person must be both diplomat and advocate. Matt has performed this task flawlessly. Always accessible, never brusque, exceptionally polite, be it barely after sunrise or well past midnight, he takes time to listen—and then take appropriate action.

“He has a knack for heading things off,” said Amy. “We’ve got so many stakeholders, and he has such a great way of balancing and management all of that.”

Similar praise comes from Anne Person Worcester, the former New Haven tournament director.

“It’s very unusual to find someone who has both unrivaled creativity and business acumen,” she said. “The media loves him. He was also ahead of the curve with social media, with the advent of content.”

Naturally, all have been struck by both the difficult news, and the resilience Matt has shown in the wake of it. Lauren Mallon, senior director of marketing for strategic partnerships for Fila (a BNP Paribas Open sponsor), has known Matt for more than 25 years.

“I’m inspired by his resolve and strength in the face of ALS,” she said. “I’ve told him, ‘You will continue to inspire people.’”

More from Matt’s announcement:

I have a peace that I couldn’t ever find before and transcends human understanding. My eyes are open in ways that eluded me previously. I have felt deeply loved, more than I ever imagined was possible. God’s amazing grace and generous mercy have transformed my heart and soul forever. During the testing for ALS, I saw Jesus patiently waiting to take me on a journey, and it humbled me and filled me with hope.

Matt is at Indian Wells this year. It has been great to see him, but it has also be difficult. The very nature of sports tilts towards perpetual youth, health, vibrancy. Just recall the anguish fans feel as their favorite players decline. Now, with Matt, we are aware of something far beyond the lines of a tennis court and the end of a world class athlete’s career.

Here too, Matt offers eloquent wisdom:

I am committed to choosing joy, each day. No false, toxic positivity, just a perspective to find joy amidst sorrow, and live with an abundant love that pierces the darkness and allows sunlight to pour through. Each day is a gift, where I can care, fight, and dedicate myself to being my absolute best, and have no fear of the outcome. I plan to keep sharing my journey, reflecting on what I learn, and trying to serve those around me as much as possible.

We’ll be right there with you, Matt.