According to “The Guardian,” this step may be announced in conjunction with the US Tennis Association’s unveiling of the prize money for this year’s US Open, which is expected to exceed $100 million for the first time.
This step comes after a dispute that lasted about 18 months between the major tournaments and prominent players, including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, who are demanding a larger share of tournament revenues, in addition to contributions to sponsoring players and actual representation for them in decisions.
The top 10 male and female players in the world stepped up last May by withdrawing from some contracted media activities during the Roland Garros tournament, before a similar move that was scheduled for Wimbledon was canceled after last-minute negotiations.
Players are demanding that Grand Slam tournaments allocate 22% of their revenues to prize money, similar to what happens in men’s and women’s league tournaments. In contrast, Wimbledon’s latest prize money amounted to 64.2 million pounds sterling, or only about 14.4% of the tournament’s revenues.
Attention is now turning to the US Open, which begins on August 30, especially since it used to offer the highest financial prizes in tennis. The prizes for the last edition amounted to $90 million, while players expect this year to break the $100 million barrier.
Although the idea of the advisory council has been agreed upon, the details are still being awaited. Players want to know who will represent them, how members will be selected, and whether the council will have an actual influential role in tournament decisions, not just a formality.
The risk of a media boycott still exists in “Flushing Meadows” if players are not convinced by the size of the increase in prizes. Some of them also threatened to boycott the mixed doubles competitions at the US Open, which is a tournament that the American Federation is trying to develop as part of an effort to turn the event into a tournament that extends 3 weeks and increases its revenues.
It is noteworthy that Jannik Sinner, ranked number one in the world, did not appear among the participants in the mixed doubles table that was announced on Tuesday, while Aryna Sabalenka will participate in a prominent pair with Novak Djokovic.
