ATP Will Change Prize Money Distribution Rules In 2014

Written by: Staff on 19th March 2013

ATP Will Change Prize Money Distribution Rules In 2014 |

Raymond Moore, CEO of the BNP Paribas Open, revealed to the media Sunday that the ATP is working on devising a new prize money formula for 2014. The BNP Paribas Open and the tournament directors on the ATP Board of Directors battled for months about the size and the direction of the tournament’s 2013 prize money, which was resolved about a month before play began. The ATP prefers an 80-20% split, while Moore was shading toward an 81 -19% split.

“They have shown [tournament director Steve Simon] and I a draft of the rule change and would it work for Indian Wells? For example, we wanted to increase the prize money next year,” Moore said. “So there has been a shift. They have taken an archaic rule and they have revised it, so at least that’s positive. I could spend the rest of the day talking about the politics and the flaws that I see in the system. But on the prize money, I think finally, you know, common sense prevailed. They could have done without all the bad publicity, and so could have we. But there will be a new rule that I think they will issue around about Wimbledon time. But the draft I’ve seen, and Steve, we like the draft and the way it’s going.

Moore added that the new rule would be less of an impediment than the current one.

“What they’re doing is giving a little more flexibility,” he said. “The suggestion is that your increase, if you take 50% of the increase and keep with the 80/20 split prize money ratio between singles and doubles, and then the other 50% the tournament can do what they like with. But we are only talking about the increase. You have a baseline. The baseline is 80/20. You can’t deviate from that. So there’s some movement. I think it’s a compromise. I don’t think it’s perfect, but it’s better.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: ATP tennis news, BNP Paribas Open, Raymond Moore, tennis prize money