ATP Vote On Indian Wells Prize Money Is Delayed

Written by: Staff on 14th February 2013

ATP Vote On Indian Wells Prize Money Is Delayed

epa03151001 General view of the center court during the men's final match between John Isner (bottom) of the USA and Roger Federer of Switzerland at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 18 March 2012. EPA/MIKE NELSON |

A second vote by the ATP World Tour’s six man board of directors over the issue of increased prize money at the upcoming BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells has been delayed again as the stalemate on the issue appears to continue.

Tournament representatives on the board, and London-based Mark Webster in particular, remain in opposition to tournament owner Larry Ellison’s offer to up prize money for the 2013 event by $1.6 million. But the sticking point is not the amount of the rise but the split between singles and doubles prize money.

Ellison and Indian Wells chief executive Raymond Moore have set an 82% -18% split between singles and doubles prize money. The ATP is said to favor an 80%-20% split and there the problem lies.

Simon Higson, in his role as ATP World Tour spokesman, explained: “The ATP welcomes tournaments increasing prize money, however, in this case, the issue revolves around a tournament proposing a prize money distribution that deviates from the ATP rules that players and tournaments themselves have agreed, and which every other tournament on the tour follows.

“Historically, ATP rules have required increases to be applied at a specified percentage for each round, so that growth is proportionate. This is a model that has been developed by the players and tournaments working together over many years. This is not a prize money increase issue, but a Tour-wide prize money distribution issue.”

The ATP World Tour are insistent they are working hard to strike a compromise with the Indian Wells proposals and Mark Young, the tour’s chief executive of the Americas, has suggested the doubles winners split $275,000, while singles semifinalists receive $200,000 and singles quarterfinalists receive $100,000. The Indian Wells proposal offers increases to every round in doubles, but the winners would split $240,000, and the singles quarterfinalists would receive somewhere between $105,000 – 110,000.

Moore reportedly responded: “I said, ‘Mark, are you kidding me’? Are you going to tell me that winners of the doubles should get more than semifinalists in singles? Frankly we don’t agree and that’s why we can’t abide by your prize money breakdown.”

The ATP’s Higson responded: “The Indian Wells proposal has produced a unique set of circumstances which the ATP Board of Directors continues to address. We remain hopeful of not only resolving this specific matter concerning Indian Wells, but in addition providing a rule for future proposals from tournaments when they want to deviate from established prize money distributions.

“Whilst we remain optimistic of resolving this matter ahead of the 2013 BNP Paribas Open, it is important that the necessary due diligence is carried out when considering any rule changes that affect the Tour as a whole.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Atp, Bnp Paribas, Indian Wells Tennis News, Sports, tennis prize money