Pospisil wants to dramatically increase the percentage of revenue that players receive at Grand Slam eventsGETTY IMAGES
Tennis player Vasek Pospisil joined the ATP Player Council last year and "couldn't believe the things" he was "hearing and was outraged by the realities of the Tour," according to an op-ed by Pospisil in the GLOBE & MAIL. Pospisil "wanted to know why Grand Slam events only give" 14% of the revenue back to the athletes when "most other professional sports of comparable size are near or above" 50%. Tennis has the "lowest revenue sharing of all professional sports that have become a global business." The tennis money is there and the "players deserve it, but they’re not getting it." The current governance structure is a "very effective tool for tournaments to maintain their monopoly and complete control of the ATP." No other professional sport or organization is "structured in such a chaotic way." It ultimately "leaves the players powerless." A players' union "would help balance the scales by giving the players a more effective voice, a legal voice, in negotiations about revenue sharing for tournaments and for the Grand Slams." Pospisil: "We’re constantly told that we must 'trust' the tournaments and that this is a 'partnership.' Except this is business." The players are "given the bare minimum of what the governing bodies feel will avoid a revolution or an extremely angry group of players." It is "important to grow the sport beyond a small elite of the top pros." It is also "important to share the spoils of the hard work of lifelong tennis players who love the game." Pospisil: "Tennis needs change" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/2).
