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Alternative to grand slams being considered by ATP
Wimbledon, June 23: What if there was a Wimbledon and nobody came? More than 80 male pros agreed last night to play in alternative tennis tournaments set up by the ATP if disagreements with the grand slam events about prize money and other issues aren`t smoothed over.
Wimbledon, June 23: What if there was a Wimbledon and nobody came? More than 80 male pros agreed last night to play in alternative tennis tournaments set up by the ATP if disagreements with the grand slam events about prize money and other issues aren't smoothed over.
About 120 players met at the all England club two days before the start of Wimbledon. The primary topic was the ongoing talks with the four majors.
"If, for any of the grand slams, we ever got to the point where we felt like progress was not possible, then our choice would be to create other options for guys to play. It's not something anybody wants to see happen," ATP chief executive Mark Miles said. "We want to be prepared for the possibility - however undesirable or unlikely - that we conclude we just cannot resolve the issues."
In March, the men's and women's tours urged the US Open, Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open to commit more profits to prizes, promotion of the game, health benefits and pension programmes. Other areas of discussion include the length of the offseason and more combined men's and women's tournaments.
About 120 players met at the all England club two days before the start of Wimbledon. The primary topic was the ongoing talks with the four majors.
"If, for any of the grand slams, we ever got to the point where we felt like progress was not possible, then our choice would be to create other options for guys to play. It's not something anybody wants to see happen," ATP chief executive Mark Miles said. "We want to be prepared for the possibility - however undesirable or unlikely - that we conclude we just cannot resolve the issues."
In March, the men's and women's tours urged the US Open, Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open to commit more profits to prizes, promotion of the game, health benefits and pension programmes. Other areas of discussion include the length of the offseason and more combined men's and women's tournaments.
The groups met during the French Open early this month, and the four grand slam tournaments announced they rejected a request for more money.
Since then, the ATP's negotiating group - Miles, Todd Woodbridge, Richard Krajicek and Todd Martin - met with representatives from three of the grand slams.
Bureau Report