ATP website reports a drastic prize money cut just a few days before the tournament kicks off.
By Gianluca Sartori, translated by Kingsley Elliot Kaye
The ATP Rome Masters 1000 is just about to start. The clay classic is scheduled from 9 to 15 May and a strange case has emerged. In fact, according to figures provided by the ATP website, prize money has considerably dropped.
Total Financial Commitment reported at the start of April amounted to 6,008,725 euro, whereas, clicking on the same link, now it has shrunk to 3,301,020 euro, starkly nearing ATP 500 events, such as Barcelona which is taking place this week. Therefore, a 40% cut.
All rounds are affected: the 1st round drops 21,120 to 15,050 euro, the 2nd from 36,400 to 24,025, the 3rd from 61,250 to 38,015. The final rounds are impacted too. Players reaching the semi-finals will earn 102,000 euro, a fraction more than the amount previously due to quarterfinalists, the runner-up will receive 179,250 euro, just 3,000 euro more than a semi-finalist under the former scheme, and the winner’s cheque has plummeted from 568,000 to 316,000.
Italian Tennis Federation is expected to provide explanations which may justify such a change of heart. Rome is a key tournament for players in terms of ranking points, but polemics and discontent are likely to arise.
The situation is made even more nebulous by the figures published on the official site: €2,563,710 for the men’s tournament, $1,835,490 for the women’s. These figures refer to the prize money, and not to the total financial commitment indicated by ATP. The latter includes ATP Tour fees, Marketing fees (which cover promotion activities by ATP mainly relating to global sponsors and TV rights), and contribution to the Bonus Pool, which will be distributed at the end of the year to the top players.
The difference in prize money between men’s and women’s tournament has been maintained, quite an isolated case among the tournaments which hold joint ATP and WTA events.
