Andy Murray Hasn’t Heard US Open Boycott Talks Yet

Written by: Staff on 22nd January 2013

Andy Murray Hasn't Heard US Open Boycott Talks Yet

epa03543841 Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts on a point won during his 3rd round match against Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2013. EPA/DAVID CROSLING AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Andy Murray has dismissed what appears to be premature report in the London Times that the ATP players are seriously considering a boycott of the US Open. While ATP board member Justin Gimelstob did tell the New York Times last week that the ATP is dissatisfied with the US Open increase of its prize money by $4 million (identical to that of the Australian Open’s increase and the tournament is Melbourne was clearly not boycotted) and that the US Open men’s final was moved to Monday night. But Murray said he “personally hasn’t spoken with anyone about boycotting the event since the ATP meeting.”

US Open executive director Gordon Smith told the New York Times that the Monday final is not set in stone and was only moved from Sunday to Monday to accommodate the players request for a day in between the semis and then final.

The USTA renegotiated some of its TV deals so it could accommodate the day or rest and has not decided when the men’s final will be played in 2014. Smith said that he aim is to have a Sunday final again. He also told the New York Times that the cost to the tournament in 2013 for switching the men’s semifinals to Friday and keeping the final in its Sunday slot would have been $10 million, while having the men’s semifinals on Saturday and rescheduling the men’s final to Monday was considerably less, at $1.5 million.

“I have great respect for the players,” Smith said. “But I don’t think it’s reasonable to say, ‘Increase your prize money by millions of dollars and take a $10 million hit to give us a day of rest.’

Smith said if they were forced to take a $10 million loss, the USTA would have to cut staff and programs.

Murray said that he knows the ATP isn’t particularly happy with the Monday final and “that’s an issue because however much revenue they make from having an extra day on their tournament hasn’t really reflected in the increase in the prize money. That was what the players wanted, was obviously better prize money, but not with an extra day to the event. I think that’s what they’re disappointed with.”

Total US Open prize money in 2013 will be $29.5 million, up from $25. 5 million in 2012. Singles prize money at the US Open has increased by 34% since the 2011 US Open.

Smiths has pledged that the USTA will increase prize money by 75% between 2012 2017. If the pledge holds, by 2017, total US Open prize money will be somewhere around $45 million.

The American Gimelstob had strong words for the USTA and said that the organization should not think they can wait out the players this year.

©Daily tennis News Wire

Topics: American tennis news, Andy Murray, Atp, British tennis news, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open