MASTERS MISERY SPARKS NEW FEARS FOR WIMBLEDON AS MAJOR EVENTS FALL BY WAYSIDE
BRITISH tennis is among the bodies in the world game left counting the cost as the sport waits anxiously to see if the French Open and Wimbledon can go ahead. The abrupt postponement of golf’s Masters on Friday will have only heightened what one insider described as a ‘jumpy’ atmosphere at SW19 caused by the coronavirus crisis.
Wimbledon and Augusta have developed a close relationship. It extends to reciprocal invitations for the respective hierarchies to their events every year.
So note will have been taken about the Masters’ decisive action, and that will in turn be looked on closely by the Lawn Tennis Association, whose annual handout from the All England Club was £40million last year.
While Wimbledon has insurance in place to guard against the worst, cancellation would affect the bottom line and therefore what they would able to dispense as a surplus.
The running costs of the LTA are high, given its continuingly enormous payroll of nearly 300 employees, so what happens at SW19 is sure to have a knock-on effect at Roehampton.
An indication of the nervousness at Wimbledon was an uncharacteristic press release put out at 9pm on Thursday. While not adding a huge amount to the current crisis, it did suggest that any decision to call it off will not be made unilaterally.
‘While we continue to plan for the Championships at this time, we will act responsibly, in the best interests of wider society,’ read the statement.
‘If the government required us to cancel, our insurance policies would enable us to offer refunds to ticket holders and debenture holders.’
The Mail on Sunday has spoken to several well-placed sources involved in running the sport.
All of them expressed the view that, on the current trajectory, it looks optimistic to suggest that there will be any significant professional tennis played prior to the French Open, where the main draw is due to begin on May 24.
The best estimate of one is that it would resume in late July on the American hard courts.
The key point will be when infections are seen to be reducing, and, on UK government estimates, the timeline is making Wimbledon look like a close call.
According to those who know the tennis-promotion business, the financial hit taken by the bigger events on the tour which cancel would be between £4m and £9m.
While some would be insured against not going ahead, this would not necessarily cover things like sponsorships which provide year-round benefits.
The overall figure may be higher for the Miami Open, which was called off on Wednesday. It is an especially profitable enterprise for its owners, IMG, who initially pushed hard for it to go ahead before bowing to the inevitable.
Individual players, who are independent contractors, are already out of pocket.
Jeremy Chardy, the London-based Frenchman ranked 59 in the world, returned home immediately when Indian Wells was cancelled on Monday to his new-born child.
‘I no longer know if I am now unemployed, on paternity leave, or a tennis player,’ he told French sports daily L’Equipe. ‘Many players want to talk about it. If many tournaments are cancelled, it can be difficult if you’re not an employee.’
A parochial concern for many players is what will happen to ranking points they have been unable to defend, which affects seedings and which events can be entered. One solution is for points won from a year ago to remain active beyond that time, rather than drop off.
For now, the stars are hunkered down. While the Monte Carlo Open is off, its practice courts will remain busy with the tennis millionaires who are based there.
Others are spread far and wide. Nick Kyrgios has gone home to Australia to try to sort out injuries.
Britain’s Jo Konta has returned to London, while Kyle Edmund has remained in Miami.