WTA's Stacey Allaster Leads All Tennis Execs In Pay For '13 With $1.4M Salary

WTA Chair & CEO Stacey Allaster earned more than $1.4M in '13, "likely marking the first time the circuit’s leader earned more than any other executive in tennis," according to tax returns cited by Daniel Kaplan of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Total WTA compensation last year rose 25% to $11.2M, "bringing it nearly to the same level as the ATP," despite having $30M less in revenue. Allaster’s pay, up 27% from the previous year, "included a bonus" of $508,643 and an $800,000 base salary. Under Allaster, the WTA has "signed a lucrative deal to place the season-ending championships in Singapore, brought on new sponsor and media deals, and has invested in branding and marketing initiatives." The Tour has "not yet found a new lead sponsor since Sony exited" after '12. The WTA’s total revenue, which "comes from sponsorship, TV, tournament fees and the season-ending championship, rose slightly" to $63.3M, "resulting in a net surplus" of $2.8M. Meanwhile, USTA Exec Dir Gordon Smith was the organization's highest-paid exec with a salary of $1.3M, which "includes some deferred pay." At the ATP, "compensation stayed flat." ATP CEO Brad Drewett died in '13, and the tax return shows the ATP "paid him $447,657." ATP Commercial Dir and ATP Europe CEO Laurent Delanney, who earned $684,028, was the association's "highest-paid executive last year" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/1 issue).