Meet Luke Burden, Brand Manager for Laykold
Luke Burden talks about his journey from backyard tennis to global court innovations with Laykold.
Luke Burden, Brand Manager of Laykold, has tennis in his blood and a passion for innovation. Growing up on a Laykold court, he’s played and coached around the world, from small-town Australia to the professional circuits of Europe and the US. Now based in Atlanta, Luke brings his lifelong love of tennis and deep industry knowledge to his role at Sport Group, where he’s not just managing brands but helping to redefine what’s possible in the game from the ground up. Here, he shares his passion for the sport, his vision for the future of its courts, and why education and innovation are key to the sport’s evolution.
How did you get started with tennis?
From the moment I could walk, I was immersed in tennis. I can’t even remember my first time on the court, but we had a Laykold court in the backyard and my dad was a tennis coach. Back then, junior tennis rackets weren’t as common, so my first racket was a wooden one with the handle cut down to size.
Our family holidays revolved around tennis tournaments, with all of us participating. We’d travel around Australia during the holidays for grass court tournaments. My dad would play in the open or A-grade, and I’d play doubles with him. My brothers played — it was just a great family experience, and we made so many lasting friendships. Pretty much all of my friends from back in Australia are from tennis. It was a truly social scene that spanned generations.
When did you leave Australia, and why?
I left in 2000, seeking greater challenges. Tennis is huge here in the US compared to Australia. And in Europe, you could play on the ‘money circuit’ for clubs or in tournaments that paid enough to get by. This semi-professional experience was hard work even though people think it’s a vacation — airport, hotel, tennis court, and repeat. I did see some incredible places though — the pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls.
I loved playing, but I knew I could coach at a higher level than I could ever play, and so my coaching career took me from London, where I was using Wimbledon as a training base, to Florida, where I set up a team of pro players. I was traveling 35 to 40 weeks a year and went through three passports in five years. It was a rewarding experience, coaching junior players at all four Grand Slams and sharing my love and knowledge of tennis with up-and-coming players.
“Sometimes the market doesn’t always know what it wants because it doesn’t realize what it is possible for us to do with courts now.”
You’ve also experienced the administration side of the sport, haven’t you?
Yes, I eventually moved into consulting for national tennis federations and helping to build tennis communities in regions like the Caribbean through the foundation I set up, the Global Tennis Initiative. One of the highlights was bringing the World Junior Tennis Championship to Trinidad and Tobago as the Tournament Director. As the lead of the organizing committee and TD, I oversaw every aspect of the event, from soup to nuts, which involved 33 national teams. It was a huge operation, and we were recognized by the ITF because it was the largest junior international team event for tennis at that time.
Another big part of my work was assisting national federations to develop facilities and programs, training local coaches and administrators and helping to develop sustainable tennis programs. We had some nice successes with that, including building an international-level tennis facility with a stadium, and a lot of players heading to college in the States. For many of these young players, tennis is a pathway to a better life.
What brought you to the other side of the court at Laykold?
When the COVID pandemic hit, I was in Atlanta known as the epicentre of tennis globally. As clubs and tournaments closed their doors, it was a natural fit to move into the sport surface business. I grew up with a Laykold court in my backyard and I thought I knew a lot about tennis courts, but I’ve learned so much more since joining the brand. I've always known that you can have a slow, medium slow or a fast court, but learning about the technical and scientific knowledge that goes into developing a tennis court has been incredible.
Do you have a favorite Laykold court system?
I just love the Advantage Court, which is the traditional hard court used at the US Open. What we do with its pace precision elevates it. And also, the premium range with the Gel court systems because it’s so good for player welfare but it plays exactly like a hardcourt.
“They [Gel courts] offer the benefits of a cushioned surface without compromising the speed of play or feel of a traditional hardcourt. It’s a game changer.”
How big a part does education play in your role with Laykold?
Sometimes the market doesn’t always know what it wants because it doesn’t realize what it is possible for us to do with courts now. Take Gel courts, for instance. They offer the benefits of a cushioned surface without compromising the speed of play or feel of a traditional hardcourt. It’s a game changer, as players can play more often without the strain on their bodies, which means more revenue for the clubs, and the Gel force reduction performance lasts for a lifetime, so it’s just better for the sport as a whole. But it was hard to imagine such a surface could exist.
I’m also involved in discussions around court pace ratings because it’s an area where there has been quite some confusion in the industry. Many people, even at the TD or ITF level, didn’t realize that the ITF (pace ratings) and Hawk-Eye (pace index) were using different measurements for court pace. Educating tournament directors and federations about these pace differences helps cement Laykold’s position as the expert and leader in the market.
Which tournaments do you have a soft spot for?
It’s got to be the Miami Open at Key Biscayne (where it was held from 1987 to 2018). I lived there, so it’s personal — I just loved that tournament. It had that intimate feeling, being able to hit golf balls at Nike house with Nadal and then later that week, watch him beat Federer for the first time in 2004. I also have a deep appreciation for Wimbledon’s tradition and prestige, and, of course, the Australian Open’s unique atmosphere right in the centre of Melbourne. I’ve been going to the Aussie Open since it was held in suburban Kooyong, and I’ve been there every year since it relocated to Melbourne Park in 1988. It’s such a huge event now, with much more than just tennis.
What does the future hold for tennis, in your opinion?
I can really see a shift in the sport’s epicenter, with more money and influence moving towards Europe and the Middle East. The players are going to start getting more say, and the prize money will increase. And for some time, there’s been a growing diversity in tennis, with more countries producing top players than ever before, signalling the end of one single country’s dominance over years. It’s just not going to be possible for a country to dominate like they did in the past because there are just so many more players now, and they’re able to play on the tour.