Tennis commentator Patrick McEnroe admits tennis execs “were shocked” with the recent report that Saudi Arabia’s PIF has offered $2B to united the ATP and WTA tours. McEnroe, appearing on CNBC on Thursday night, noted the four Grand Slam tournaments and the two tours have been “hoping to come to some sort of agreement where they could all come together and essentially control the calendar of the professional tennis season.” However, the offer from the PIF has thrown things behind the scenes “into real disarray.” McEnroe predicts that there “will be a lot more money coming to the players in the next few years” from some outlet. However, whether that comes “directly from the Saudis, and they then having control of the tours, is the big question.” The Grand Slam events control their own tournaments, and because of that, their own destinies. McEnroe believes those events “have to come together and bring something with a little more meat to the table to see if they can work together to come up with a calendar that suits all of them.” McEnroe: “Otherwise, tennis goes the way for Formula One, soccer. We’ve seen what happened with LIV Golf over the last couple of years. Tennis seems to be next” (“Last Call,” CNBC, 3/14).
