J. Fred Sadu’s Lifelong Love for Sports and Storytelling

For more than two decades, J. Fred Sadu has been the quiet force behind the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club’s media relations team, coordinating coverage, arranging interviews and capturing the beauty of the sport he’s loved since childhood.

But his story starts far from the sea breeze and green courts of La Jolla.

That early fascination set the tone for a life spent connecting people through communication, whether as a journalist, photographer or media director.

After two years at a junior college, Sadu transferred to San Diego State University in the early 1980s, an era of great music, packed classrooms and what he fondly calls “a really, really good time to be alive.”

He credits SDSU’s Educational Opportunity Program with helping him navigate life in a big university after growing up in a rural community. “They helped me tremendously,” he says. “My professors were great, especially Dr. Glenn Broom. He was probably one of the best professors I ever had.”

The university, Sadu says, gave him both the foundation and the confidence to pursue a career in media. 

“Through my classes and internships, I got the experience I needed, and the contacts that would help me later.”

As a senior, Sadu landed two internships that would shape his path: One with the Mexican and American Foundation, where he learned the importance of writing and public relations, and another with the San Diego Clippers, then still based in San Diego.

Working as a public relations intern for the Clippers was a dream come true. “I got to work with media from across the country,” he says. “When the Boston Celtics came to town, I was right there watching Larry Bird play.”

At the end of that season, he even scored tickets to the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers, for $17.50 each.

25 Years in the Newsroom

After graduating, Sadu landed a job at The San Diego Union-Tribune as an editorial assistant, a role that grew into a 25-year career.

“I learned everything about the newspaper business,” he says. “I worked in sports, real estate, news, you name it. My first week, I had to put together the entire weather page by hand. 25 years later, it was done with the press of a button.”

It was during those years that Sadu began to see the future of journalism changing. “I could tell newspapers wouldn’t be around in the same form forever,” he says. “So I started volunteering at tennis events on my days off. I was already building my next career.”

That foresight paid off. After leaving the Union-Tribune, Sadu transitioned full-time into tennis media relations, working not only at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club but also at major events like the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the French Open.

“I got paid to watch the best tennis in the world, Federer, Nadal, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf. It was like getting paid to eat your favorite ice cream,” he said. 

The Power of Volunteering

Sadu’s career is full of “right place, right time” stories, but he’s quick to point out that those moments happened because he volunteered.

Years ago, he spent two years helping at the Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma. When his old colleague from that program became the head pro at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, he invited Sadu to help with publicity for their tournaments.

“I got them coverage in the Union-Tribune,” Sadu says. “They loved it, and I’ve been there ever since. If I hadn’t volunteered at the Barnes Center, that connection might never have happened.”

Another time, volunteering at a Davis Cup event led to the biggest break of his career. “I met people from the U.S. Tennis Association,” he says. “They asked me to come work the U.S. Open, and that turned into 23 years.”

Now semi-retired, Sadu still manages media for tournaments, mentors young communicators and reflects on the journey from a desert kid listening to baseball on the radio to standing courtside at Wimbledon.

“The one thing I’ve learned,” he says, “is to treat people with respect. You never know who they’ll become or how your paths might cross again.”