Federer To Look Into ATP Rebuffing Indian Wells Prize Increase

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 9th November 2012

Federer To Look Into ATP Rebuffing Indian Wells Prize Increase

epa03463478 Switzerland's Roger Federer returns the ball during their group B singles match against Spain's David Ferrer in the round robin stage on the fourth day of the ATP World Tour tennis finals in London, Britain, 08 November 2012. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA |

Roger Federer, as chairman of the ATP Players Council and mandated by his competitive peers to work for the best possible financial rewards on offer, intends to investigate this week’s decision by the ATP World Tour’s Board of Directors and Chief Executive Brad Drewett to veto the proposal by the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells to increase prize money by at least $800,000.

Federer, concentrating more on actually playing to defend the title he’s won for the last two year’s in this week’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals was not privy to the board meeting involving Drewett and his six man board that came to the decision. But he said: “For me, I was a bit surprised to hear that because I heard it was in the room.”

It is widely believed the ATP’s six-man board of directors was split symmetrically down the middle on the matter. Three Player representatives on the board ( Italy ’s Georgio di Palermo , The Tennis Channel’s David Egdes and ex-player Justin Gimelstob) voted in favour of the 29% increase. However the three Tournament representatives (Gavin Forbes, Senior Vice President of Tennis with IMG, Shanghai Rolex Masters managing director Charles H. Smith and Mark Webster, CEO of Tennis Properties Ltd/ATP Media for ten years) voted against. Drewett, given the casting vote, opted to abstain.

Federer has long maintained a policy of never speaking publicly about matters of the Players’ Coouncil. However he said: “What I can tell you is I will investigate and make sure that the decision they’ve taken is, indeed, the right one.

“If it’s not, then obviously we need to talk about it, what we can do in the future. Maybe some people don’t understand it. It’s important for me to really get all the information so I can also give my opinion and speak to the fellow council members, because, like you mentioned, it’s an important issue here.”

Larry Ellison, the billionaire owner of Indian Wells, was adhering to the demands laid down by the ATP Player Council to the Grand Slam tournaments earlier this year, and offering to increase prize money across the board. So it wouldn’t just be the eventual champions who got better paid but the first round and even qualifying round losers as well.

However there is a widely held belief the opposition to the proposal might be based on the fact the IMG owned Sony Open, staged a week later in Miami, would not be a strong enough financial position to follow suit on a rise in prize money.