Discussions About ATP Players’ Prize Money Unrest Continue

Written by: Staff on 27th August 2012

Discussions About ATP Players’ Prize Money Unrest Continue

epa03318701 Swiss tennis player Roger Federer during a press conference at the Olympic Park in London, Britain, 26 July 2012 one day before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

While the ATP World Tour’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Kate Gordon was insistent there would be no official sanction of a boycott of next year’s Australian Open, the tournament’s organizers Tennis Australia is still taking the threat very seriously and understands the unrest on the issue of prize money for early round losers.

And ATP Player Council President Roger Federer, understood to be against any form of boycott or strike up to now, admitted the issue came up for the discussion at a players meeting in New York over the weekend viewed as so important it was deemed to be mandatory.

Federer was reluctant to make any sweeping statement when questioned about the outcome of the meeting. “As long as I’m president of the Player Council it’s always going to stay behind closed doors what exactly has been talked about,” said the world no.1.

But he admitted there were requests to elevate the meeting to mandatory status and admitted: “I thought it was a good. Obviously always going to be rumors flying, but I think we’re on the right track for many things We are making sure everybody is on the same page and understanding the situation. There are obviously different processes in place right now, different things we’re working on.”

Federer continued: “It’s not only the Grand Slam issue, but many other issues always pending. We’re working on these and trying to inform the players. Finally we really have engaged players, and I think that’s a very good thing.”

Gordon, who works closely with ATP Executive Chairman emerged from ongoing board meetings in Manhattan to release a statement that read: “The ATP has been clear and repetitive in telling players that it will not organize a boycott. Instead, ATP Management and players have taken a diplomatic approach this year with the Grand Slams to address player compensation issues.

“The Grand Slams are important events that generate significant revenues, and the players who perform there should share in an acceptable percentage of those revenues—like they do on the ATP World Tour.

“We are pleased that the discussions initiated by the ATP with each of the Grand Slams this year have resulted in certain prize money increases for players in 2012, and we remain focused on our active dialogue with these events about player compensation for 2013 and beyond. The players remain unified and passionate about this issue.”

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley is already in New York prior to Grand Slam Committee meetings next week and agreed there were certainly grounds for lower ranked players to complain about the distribution of tournament revenue in the form of prize money for early round losers. Earlier this year, Aussie Open first round losers received $Aus 20,800 ($US21,614) which according to current exchange rates is lower than the French Open figure of 18,000 euros ($US22,513), the £14,500 ($US22,924) paid at Wimbledon or the $US 23,000 that will go to contestants at the ongoing U.S. Open.

Tiley accepted many players without lucrative endorsements deals and the comfort of huge guarantees played at other tournaments during the course of the year struggled to pay expenses to play the ATP World Tour including air fares and accommodation.

Speaking to Australia ’s ABC Radio 774, Tiley said: “”Distribution of prize money is certainly something we are looking at.

“The top 250 players in tennis make about a quarter of the amount of money in tennis as they do in golf and so that could be a good benchmark for us. And the PGA Tour’s prize money has increased more than the ATP Tour’s has so we have to address that too.”

Tiley added he had spoken directly to Federer and other leading players in New York , said he was confident a strike would be averted. Furthermore he reported Tennis Australia will make an announcement about prize money for next year’s Australian Open in early October.

©Daiily Tennis News Wire

Topics: ATP Player Council President, ATP tennis news, Australian Open 2012, boycoting the Australian Open 2012, Kate Gordon, New York tennis news, Roger Federer, Sports, sports tennis news, Tennis News, US Open 2012