Professional tennis players are one of those for whom the coronavirus pandemic dealt the most tangible blow. Unlike football players, hockey players and basketball players, they are not bound by contracts with clubs and cannot rely on salaries even in truncated form. Due to the cancellation of all tournaments, many of them were in dire financial straits. The current situation was attended to by ATP, WTA, ITF and a number of leading national federations.
“In the face of uncertainty about a safe time to resume the competition, the governing international tennis authorities are discussing the creation of a player support program to provide the necessary assistance to tennis players, especially those affected by the crisis associated with the coronavirus COVID-19,” says the official websites of ATP, WTA and ITF.
The organizations reported that they are actively working on the creation of an aid fund and will publish an official statement on this issue as soon as all the nuances are settled. At the same time, the association also noted that the health of the players remains a priority.
“The health and safety of all those involved in tennis is an absolute priority for all managers, and the community will continue to fulfill its role in minimizing the spread of infection. This applies most of all to our players, many of whom communicate with their fans, supporting them with hope for an early improvement in the situation and at the same time recalling the importance of being safe at home, ”the press release says.
The players themselves are probably no less concerned about the financial side of the issue. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many of them were in extremely difficult situations and were already beginning to think about the possibility of making money in other ways. In the event of a mass exodus of athletes from professional tennis, this type of prestige will be hit, which may affect the number of sponsorship investments and the size of prize pools in tournaments. Of course, ATP and WTA are frightening of the consequences, in connection with which the organizations thought about how to help athletes in a difficult period.
“We know that our players, like many people around the world, need financial support, and look forward to the finalization and details of the relevant plan and the opportunity to share them,” concluded ATP, WTA and ITF.
As you know, the leaders of men's tennis - Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, play an important role in creating the fund. The stars expressed their willingness to make substantial contributions and transfer part of the fee for speaking at the Final Tournament in London. They also suggested that representatives of the first hundred singles and the first twenty rankings - in the doubles - raise funds to support less famous athletes. According to the Serb, in the most difficult situation were tennis players who ranged from the 250th to the 700th line of the rating.
“We believe that we should unite and help these guys. Many of them think about leaving professional tennis, because they cannot survive financially. Most of them do not have sponsors or support from national federations. ATP includes about 700 tennis players, and we should try to take care of everyone. They are our future, the base of professional sports, ”Tennis Tourtalk quoted Djokovic.
As the Serb noted, first of all, the coronavirus pandemic hit not the representatives of the world tennis elite, but the less well-known athletes whose main income consists of participating in tournaments. Nadal and Federer not only earned enough money during their careers, but also signed several personal advertising contracts that ensured them until the end of their days. But less famous players can not boast a solid margin of safety. In the absence of competition, they actually lost the opportunity to earn a living and at the same time did not have enough savings to survive the downtime painlessly.
To receive serious fees, tennis players need to regularly regularly perform successfully throughout the year. In the event that they refuse or fly out in the early stages, the level of payments is significantly reduced.
This season, athletes did not have time to play three full months, which fit only one Grand Slam tournament and a total of nine ATP 500 series competitions for men and Premier for women. Based on this, it can be suggested that in 2020 they did not earn even a quarter of their annual fees.
“People are in a panic. They are already worried about how they will pay for housing next month. Taking into account all the necessary members of the team, $ 10-20 thousand is very fast. You pay for yourself, for your relatives, for the coach, for the physiotherapist. It is necessary to book individual rooms in hotels, pay for flights. The bill comes out very solid, ”Dennis Kudlu quoted the Associated Press of the 111th issue of the ATP rating.
Uncertainty about the timing of the end of the pandemic only complicates the situation of athletes. At the moment, they are unable to plan spending, because they do not have information about the dates of the resumption of the season.
“The most difficult thing is not to understand what will happen next. If we knew that everything would work out on September 1st, then people would be able to plan, make the necessary sacrifices and seek help, ”the Associated Press quotes Topnotch Management CEO Sam Duvall, whose clients are John Isner and Caroline Garcia.
In this regard, some athletes do not exclude that the coronavirus pandemic will lead to a sharp reduction in the number of professional tennis players. Of course, the leaders of the world ranking will continue to delight fans with vivid performances, but less promoted ones can change their line of business. In particular, the 195th racket of the world, Mitchell Krueger, who is currently trying to get unemployment benefits in the United States, believes so.
“There will be many players who, having lost their earnings, will not be able to survive. Time will pass, and they may, until there is competition, begin to do something else. And then they may decide that they like the new occupation more. If this lasts another nine months, it is unlikely that anyone will even try to return to the sport and play again. If I said that what was happening did not make me think about what I would do, it would not be true, ”said Kruger.