Players want place at the table as tennis ponders landscape shift with streamlined Premier Tour and Saudi Arabian funding
- Grand Slam organisers recently presented plans for a revamp of the elite game while Saudi Arabia wants to invest more
- A recently formed players’ body feels it should have input and engagement as the game is streamlined and cash is generated
Changes to the landscape of professional tennis look certain over the next couple of years and, as blueprints are laid out and new tournaments proposed, the players are determined that their voices be heard.
A proposal for a radical revamp of the elite game was put on the table by the organisers of the Grand Slams in Indian Wells this month while Saudi Arabia, having got its foot in the door through the men’s tour, is looking to expand its investment.
Everyone, it appears, believes tennis can generate greater revenue but how the sport is structured, and how the new cash is distributed, looks likely to be thrashed out over the next 18 months.
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) thinks that the players should, at the very least, have a place at the table.
“Regardless of the specifics surrounding any proposals, we’re certain that improvements are possible,” PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar told Reuters.
“We’re confident that there’s a tremendous amount of additional value to be unlocked, which would directly benefit the players, fans and the industry as a whole.