Lower-ranked players are struggling with details of cash help yet to be revealed
World No 195 Mitchell Krueger wants to sign up for unemployment benefits to make up for his income lost because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But the Dallas resident has spent hours hitting refresh on his ipad while reaching “Page unavailable” dead ends or hearing busy signals when calling the Texas Workforce Commission.
While many other athletes are getting most or all of their salaries, the 26 year old is effectively self-employed.
He and hundreds of men and women like him – and their coaches – need tournaments to happen so they can earn money but the tennis tours are suspended until mid-july at least.
Krueger said: “You’re going to have a lot of players who feel they can’t survive, not making any money. After a while, they might get into something else, for what they think will be the meantime. Then maybe they realise: ‘Hey, this is actually better’. If this goes on for the next nine months, who’s to say that they’re even going to bother trying to come back and play again?” said Krueger, who earned £32,000 in prize money in 2020 before expenses were subtracted – and before competition came to a halt.
He added: “I would be lying if I said this whole situation hasn’t made me give a little bit of consideration to what I would do.”
International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty revealed in an email to the Associated Press that plans are being made for a “tennis solidarity fund” to assist lower-ranked
players with details to be announced this week.”
Another American player, World No 111 Denis Kudla said: “We are such a global sport, with people traveling all over from everywhere and to everywhere, so I don’t see how it’s going to be easy for us to resume.”
“Guys are panicking,” added Kudla. “They’re already worrying about how to pay rent next month.”
At least some expenses are suspended. “You can run through $10,000 or $20,000 very quickly with the full staff you need… a coach, a physio. Separate hotel rooms. Airfare,” Kudla said.
Kudla’s coach Carlos Benatzky added: “The vast majority of coaches are experiencing struggles. We’re all facing quite a significant amount of uncertainty.”