Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti has accused the tennis governing bodies of ‘poor’ management over their handling of their Tour suspension.
All professional events have been halted since March due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that has inflicted more than two million people and killed thousands. It is unclear as to when the sport could resume again with the current return date of July 13th expected to be extended at some point. Amid the uncertainty, lower ranked players have voiced their concerns about receiving financial support during the break. Prompting the upcoming launch of a Player Relief Program, which will be administered by both the ATP and WTA. Full details about the program are yet to be released and it remains unclear as to when the funds will start being distributed to the players.
Trungelliti would be one of those who would benefit from such an initiative. He is currently ranked 231st in the world and has made just over $67,000 in prize money this year (before costs). The 30-year-old has blasted officials over the current system and criticised them for showing a lack of support to others working in the sport who aren’t players.
“The only bad thing is that there are many people who make a living from this sport and not just players that we have stopped producing. All the work team behind it stops charging.” He told the EFE news agency.
“The tennis bodies are painful and the only way they handle the situation is to say that it is poor. The whole system is quite loose and they don’t take into account the trainers, the physical trainers,” he added.
Continuing his criticism, Trungelliti has called out the bodies for what he believes have been a lack of communication. Saying that those who aren’t top names of the sport are often brushed aside and ignored.
“Each time you go down the ranking it is worse, it is evident, but the one who is 120 in the world has trouble reaching the end of the month. It is a reality.” He said.
“At the moment, there is a lot of anger between players and coaches. More than anything, people are angry at the lack of support. In tennis there is no information and you do not belong to anything. Neither financial or mental aid.”
“The lack of communication is terrifying.”
The ATP
Recently ATP Players Council President and world No.1 Novak Djokovic issued a letter to his fellow players urging them to contribute towards a fund set up to support those ranked below them. Although not everybody is on board. Dominic Thiem already publicly voiced his opposition by saying he would like to pick who to donate to. The Austrian, who played on the lower-level Future Tour for two years, believes some players are ‘unprofessional’ and don’t commit fully to the sport.
Thiem’s comments inevitably triggered both support and backlash with Leyton Hewitt lending his backing. However, Trungelliti has branded the comments from the Australian Open runner-up as ‘ugly.’
“In the end, everyone does what they see fit with the money, but to say that tennis doesn’t deserve it when there are kids who work like animals to get to where he was or where he is pretty ugly for a tennis player to say that kind of thing.” He said of Thiem.
Whilst the sport awaits the final details about the Player Relief Fund, Trungelliti has questioned why the bosses of the ATP haven’t taken a pay cut due to the current crises. The head of the International Tennis Federation, David Haggerty, took a 30% reduction in his pay as part of what is described as a ‘job protection scheme.’
“In general, society is already quite irresponsible. It seems to me that this is a message for leaders with the amount of money they have stolen in the world. And if we go back to the subject of tennis, in the ATP those who command have not even cut their salaries when they too have stopped working like the tennis players themselves.” Trungelliti replied when asked if COVID-19 would change the world for the good.
“The first who have to set an example are those who command, the leaders and in many countries that is not happening. People are pissed off because this becomes a matter of survival. Hopefully it will help us to think differently. In the end everything ends up being paid by the middle and lower classes.”
Trungelliti is currently residing in Andorra. He last played a professional match during the final week of February.
