Andy Roddick Hopes Players Still Passionate To Unite, But Urges No Rush For Changes

ATP World Tour members are "not any further along" with their plan to unite players on issues regarding the current tour schedule and tournament purses following a "mini-revolt" at the U.S. Open, though Andy Roddick is “hoping his colleagues have remained ‘passionate’ about the cause," according to Sandra Harwitt of ESPN.com. Roddick said, "It would be dumb of us to rush anything. If something like this does happen, we need to be smart about it and take our time and make sure that it's well thought out and not be kind of reactionary." Tennis player Andy Murray “believes his recent comment that a strike could be a possibility was taken out of context, so he now prefers that discussions remain private among the players.” Murray: "The players haven't met. When we do, then I think it's really between the ATP and the ITF to try and come to an agreement. And until something is kind of done in writing or there has been any discussion, there is not really any point in saying anything because it just starts speculation." Tennis player Juan Carlos Ferrero: "The calendar is very long and we have to travel, so it's difficult. But I know the owners of the tournaments want to play every week. I am a co-owner of the Valencia tournament and I don't want to have it off (the schedule). I am on both sides, but I am more with the players for the moment." Harwitt reported Roddick believes that tennis authorities “are banking on the players being unable to come to a consensus.” Roddick: "At a certain point, it needs to be more than conversation and more than talk. We'll see if the time is now. It does take unity. When you're dealing with a hundred separate entities as opposed to a certain amount of teams, I think that's harder and that's probably been why it's divided. The powers that be in tennis have successfully bet on us being divided so far, and they're smart for it" (ESPN.com, 10/12). In Miami, Michelle Kaufman notes the top players said that they “would like to meet sometime near year’s end to discuss where they go from here” (MIAMI HERALD, 10/13).

CONSIDERING THE SPONSORS: In London, Neil Harman notes Rafael Nadal declined to play in next June's AEGON Championship at Queen’s Club in London, opting instead to play at the Gerry Weber Open in Germany. The U.K. government tax on the “passive income” of individual sports stars was what “persuaded him to commit to play at least two years on foreign grass before Wimbledon.” A “groundswell was building on the internet that accused him of grasping a big pay cheque courtesy of a German millionaire rather than playing on grass courts he admits to loving.” But Nadal said, “The truth is, in the UK you have a big regime of tax, it’s not about the money for playing, it’s not a problem of that. They (Revenue & Customs) take from the sponsors, from Babolat, from Nike and from my watches (he is sponsored by Richard Mille). This is very difficult. I am playing in the UK and losing money. I did a lot for the last four years, but it is more and more difficult to play in the UK. It is too much.” He added, “I’m probably getting a bigger guarantee from Queen’s than for playing in Halle but I am losing a lot more money from sponsors” (LONDON TIMES, 10/13).