By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 13, 202
Saudi Arabia is all in on a bid that might remodel tennis—and provides the Saudis a controlling stake within the sport.
The Saudi-backed Public Funding Fund has submitted a $2 billion take-it-or-leave it supply to merge the ATP and WTA into one unified tour, The Telegraph’s Simon Briggs studies.
Extra: Grigor Dimitrov on Pure Magnificence
The Saudis have given ATP and WTA leaders 90 days to simply accept the supply, which might remodel the professional circuit into one mixed tour with equal prize cash throughout the board. The 4 Grand Slams are usually not a part of the Saudi supply, in line with The Telegraph report.
The clock is now ticking on a call that might dramatically alter the tennis panorama.
Potential battle among the many sport’s governing our bodies arises with a key element of the supply. The Saudis need a Masters 1000 event staged in Saudi Arabia in January as a lead-up to the Australian Open.
Nevertheless Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley is reportedly against a Saudi Masters 1000 in January as it might fracture the Australian summer time season tournaments constructing as much as the Melbourne main.
Underneath the proposed Saudi bid, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, who has been negotiating with the Saudis, could be the Commissioner of the mixed tour, which might be rebranded The PIF Tour.
If the Saudi proposal is accepted, the brand new unified tour would begin and finish the season in Saudi Arabia with a mixed Masters 1000 occasion launching the season in January and the WTA Finals ending the season in Saudi Arabia.
The actual fact the Grand Slams haven’t been concerned in negotiations factors to an extra divide between the Excursions and the 4 Grand Slams. That rift was highlighted when the Excursions stripped Wimbledon of rating factors in 2022 in response to the grass-court Grand Slam banning Russian and Belarusian gamers from SW19 again in 2022 in protest of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
A former ATP participant, Gaudenzi has lengthy publicly asserted a mixed ATP-WTA Tour is the most effective path ahead for tennis in that the game might present followers with the most effective, mixed participant fields in addition to faucet into income from digital rights to a mixed tour.
Champions starting from Billie Jean King to Roger Federer to John McEnroe have referred to as for the 2 Excursions to merge up to now.
A significant stumbling block has been the actual fact the ATP generates extra income than the WTA and that financial inequity prevented a merger up to now.
The Saudi $2 billion supply would include equal prize cash giving additional incentives to each Excursions.
This gives comes after leaders of the sport’s governing our bodies had reportedly been discussing a Premium Tour, compromised primarily of the 4 Grand Slams and mixed Masters 1000 tournaments with another choose occasions, included.
Requested in regards to the state of the excursions, on the Rolex Paris Masters final November, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic stated tennis continues to fail to maximise its enchantment to followers.
“I’ve stated this many instances earlier than, that I believe that tennis is just not utilizing its full potential,” Djokovic stated. “We’re probably the most globally watched and widespread sports activities on this planet, however I believe that we’ve been fairly conservative and standard in sure points, and that sadly hasn’t actually been a fantastic enchantment to the youthful viewers.”
The Grand Slam king stated tennis should strike a steadiness between sustaining its custom and embracing innovation.
“I am huge supportive of our historical past and custom and all the pieces, I believe we should always at all times nurture that, however I believe we have to attempt to modify to the fashionable instances and attempt to perceive what the youthful viewers desires and actually make the tennis extra interesting to that group,” Djokovic stated.
Corridor of Famer John McEnroe, who opposes Saudi funding within the sport due to its human rights violations, says given the a whole bunch tens of millions of {dollars} at stake, and the actual fact the Saudis already created the LIV golf league in 2021, makes the Kingdom’s elevated funding in tennis just about inevitable.
“It wouldn’t shock me, let’s put it this fashion, as a result of it’s the previous cash talks,” McEnroe informed the media in an ESPN Zoom name in January. “Oh no, I wouldn’t try this. Wait how a lot was I provided? On second thought possibly I’ll try this.
“Personally, I disagree with it utterly in golf and tennis. I imply the women are going to play the WTA Finals there? Are you kidding me? As a result of they deal with ladies so effectively?
“In order that half, to me, is laughable.”
McEnroe stated he’d be shocked if the Saudi’s do not buy Masters 1000 occasions.
“However on the identical time what can be laughable is that folks can criticize tennis gamers or golfers for doing one thing that just about each enterprise and the federal government do which is take care of Saudi Arabia,” McEnroe stated. “So this concept that tennis gamers need to set the ethical customary or golfers for that matter after they’re all making the cash. It’s a complete joke so far as I’m involved.
“However we’ll see what occurs. I’d be shocked if the Saudis don’t purchase these tournaments, truly. Not that they may. I’ll be shocked in the event that they don’t have them.”
Picture credit score: Saudi Tennis Federation
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