Saudi takeover risk results in ATP and WTA motion which will result in ‘merger’

The males’s and girls’s tennis excursions are reportedly set for historic merger talks on the finish of this month amid Saudi Arabian curiosity within the sport. According to the Telegraph, executives, and event representatives of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) will attend a two-day summit in London.

Bosses of the ATP and the WTA, Andrea Gaudenzi and Steve Simon, are open to the potential of aligning the excursions and pooling their belongings with Saudi Arabia sniffing round. After observing golf’s civil conflict between Saudi-backed LIV and the PGA, tennis excursions are transferring with urgency to keep away from an analogous scenario.

Saudi Arabia wish to host extra tennis occasions and the WTA had been leaning in direction of staging their finals occasion in Riyadh. However, such a transfer has been met with fierce criticism from feminine tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who each pointed towards Saudi’s “regressive stance” in direction of ladies.

Meanwhile, the ATP thought of including a tenth Masters 1000 occasion to be hosted in Riyadh. The addition of a tenth Masters 1000 occasion can be an added sweetener after Saudi had been awarded the Next Gen ATP Finals, which will likely be performed within the nation’s second metropolis, Jeddah.

A game-changing merger would see the 4 grand slams stay separate from the unification. But it may trigger friction, with males’s gamers reportedly being protecting over prize cash. Twenty-three-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic based the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) and the report states that skilled male tennis stars earn round 75 p.c greater than their feminine equivalents regardless of equal prize cash on the majors.

PTPA co-founder Vasek Pospisil is already at conflict with the ATP and WTA for intentionally making tennis balls heavier. Pospisil says heavier balls are taking a toll on gamers’ our bodies, particularly their joints. “There were discussions a few years back that the ATP/WTA wanted to ‘slow the game down’ to have longer points for fans,” he mentioned on X. “The balls have been getting incrementally heavier and surprise surprise, it’s killing our bodies. Almost every player I’ve spoken to feels the same way.

“I’ve by no means seen extra wrist, elbow, and shoulder accidents within the locker room. If these adjustments to the ball don’t begin getting reversed, it’s solely going to worsen. Please begin listening @atptour @wtatour. Player accidents are unhealthy for you too.”

Ex-tennis star Mardy Fish responded: “This can’t be extra spot on. I struggled with my arm every single day due to the completely different weight of the balls week to week. Need quarter-hour to heat my arm up now simply to play catch with my son.”