Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

ATPers Continue Push For More Prize Money, Shifting Focus To Smaller Tourneys

As good as "recent times have been" in pro tennis, a debate "continues about how the sport could utilize its current profit windfall to better stimulate growth and develop the next class of superstars who will move the game forward," according to Chris Oddo in a special to USA TODAY. Pro tennis "might have never had it so good in terms of far-reaching popularity and widespread appeal, thanks to global cast of stars that has captivated the imagination of fans, marketers and media." The money "is coming, particularly from the Grand Slams," but how to "distribute the money is a far more complicated question." ATP player council member Sergiy Stakhovsky said, "It's about making the sport vital for all the players. We would like to make our sport bigger so that all the tournaments grow side by side, so there's no gaps. It's going to be extremely hard." Fellow player Rhyne Williams said, "It's one thing if you're paying for just yourself and your meals and your travel, but if you're paying for a full-time traveling coach, and all his expenses too, it can get pricey." Andy Murray also weighed in, "The Challengers and the Futures need to be able to increase their prize money so that more tennis players can make a living. The Slams obviously make a lot of money, and yeah, if there's a way we can sort of filter some of that money down to the bottom end, then I think that would help." Oddo wrote, "It's not just the Challengers that need help, the ATP's smaller events such as the 250 and 500-level events are struggling to stay solvent as well." ESPN analyst Cliff Drysdale: "The 250s are dying on the vine. Look how many tournaments are leaving the U.S." (USATODAY.com, 8/28).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/08/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Tennis.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/08/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Tennis.aspx

CLOSE