Pro tennis primed for landscape shift
Changes to the landscape of professional tennis look certain over the next couple of years and, as blueprints are laid out and new tournaments proposed, the players are determined that their voices be heard.
A proposal for a radical revamp of the elite game was put on the table by the organisers of the Grand Slams in Indian Wells this month while Saudi Arabia, having got its foot in the door through the men’s tour, is looking to expand its investment.
Everyone, it appears, believes tennis can generate greater revenue but how the sport is structured, and how the new cash is distributed, looks likely to be thrashed out over the next 18 months.
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) thinks that the players should, at the very least, have a place at the table.
“Regardless of the specifics surrounding any proposals, we’re certain that improvements are possible,” PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar told Reuters.
“We’re confident that there’s a tremendous amount of additional value to be unlocked, which would directly benefit the players, fans and the industry as a whole.
“This untapped potential underscores our belief in the need for continuous player input and engagement.”
The PTPA, founded in 2020 by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, is a relatively new voice in a tennis world which has long been governed by a variety of sometimes cooperative, sometimes conflicting organisations.
The Grand Slams – the Australian Open, the French Open Wimbledon and the U.S. Open - are the biggest tournaments on the calendar and run their own shows, while the ATP looks after the elite men’s tour and the WTA the women’s.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) oversees the whole game, looking after its junior tours, the Olympic competition as well as the Davis and the Billie Jean King Cups.
The COVID pandemic, which caused major disruption at the top end of the game and cost stakeholders hundreds of millions of dollars, was a catalyst for talks about streamlining the governance structure.
Another agent of change is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which manages more than $700 billion in assets and has already altered the landscape in sports like golf and soccer.
The PIF already has its name on the ATP world rankings and is partnering some high-profile tournaments from this season.
United States Tennis Association
Reuters
chief Lew Sherr, who runs the U.S. Open, last week made public the blueprint for the future drawn up by the organisers of the four majors.