Top tennis players push Grand Slam tournaments again in bid for more money and more say

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A collection of top-10 tennis players sent a second letter to the four Grand Slam tournaments to push for a greater share of revenues — aiming to rise from the current 16% to 22% by 2030 — contributions to pension, health and maternity benefits that would go from zero to $12 million annually by that same year, and greater say via a new player council.

This letter, signed by stars such as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper — but not, unlike the original letter sent by players to the Slam events in March, Novak Djokovic — was dated July 30.

The second letter, which was seen this week by The Associated Press, set out specific benchmarks for ways in which the sport's four most prestigious, and profitable, tournaments could offer more money and influence to the athletes.

The players are working with Larry Scott as a consultant; he used to be the chairman and CEO of the WTA women's tennis tour and, later, ran the Pac-12 conference in American college sports.

There have been meetings among Scott, some players and the leaders of the All England Club, which runs Wimbledon; the French Tennis Federation, which runs Roland-Garros; Tennis Australia, which runs the Australian Open; and the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open.

All four were asked to reply to the July 30 letter, and all four did.

The USTA's response, dated Aug. 18 and obtained this week by the AP, was signed by Brian Vahaly, the group's interim co-CEO, and Stacey Allaster, the USTA's chief executive of professional tennis who just completed her last U.S. Open as tournament director.

“As you are aware, we have always been willing to increase compensation for players — as evidenced by the 57% growth of the U.S. Open purse over the past five years — particularly when additional collaboration on the part of the players helps to create additional revenue,” Vahaly and Allaster wrote. “For example, this year’s significant increase in compensation to $90 million reflects the addition of an extra day to the main draw singles competition and the resulting contribution made by players.”

U.S. Open singles champions Sabalenka and Alcaraz each received a record $5 million this month.

Vahaly and Allaster also wrote that they wanted “to reiterate our commitment to engaging in direct, honest and transparent discussions with the players to build a stronger future for the entire tennis ecosystem — including a healthier calendar, enhanced player consultation, and greater financial value for all involved.”

The March letter from players to the four Slam hosts came not long after the players’ association co-founded by Djokovic — the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) — filed an antitrust lawsuit against the women’s and men’s professional tours in federal court in New York. Djokovic was not listed as one of the plaintiffs.

That antitrust filing seeks more money for players, saying too little of the revenues end up in the athletes’ hands, and lays out a series of other complaints about the way the sport is run. In May, the WTA and ATP tours jointly filed a motion to dismiss the case against them.

The original case did not list the four Grand Slam tournament organizers as defendants, but they have been added, the PTPA announced this week.

“This is a necessary next step to guarantee accountability from all parties," the PTPA said, "and accelerate long-overdue reform across the entire tennis ecosystem.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis