Stefanos Tsitsipas admits the reason why he doesn’t play events in South America is due to the lack of financial incentives presented to him.
The two-time Grand Slam finalist said during an interview with CLAY that he never received ‘a good offer’ (an appearance fee) from those tournaments compared to the Middle East. February is known as the Golden Swing in men’s tennis with a series of events taking place in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico on both clay and hardcourts. During the same month, there are also events held in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as two in America and one in France.
“South America has never offered me a deal good enough to seriously consider it. The Middle East has always been much better in terms of appearance fees. The European swing has also provided strong financial incentives. That makes a difference,” Tsitsipas told CLAY.
“There’s that passion in South America that I sometimes set aside, but when the financial gap is large, you really have no choice but to go with what backs your career. I would love to play there. It’s always been my dream to visit South America and I’ve heard wonderful things about it,” he added.
This week, 13 out of the current top 20 men’s players are playing an event. Seven of those played in Dubai, five in Acapulco and one in Santiago. Dubai and Acapulco are both ATP 500 events, which means they award the same number of points. However, Dubai offers nearly $200,000 more in prize money to the champion ($619,160 compared to $461,835).
The ATP has promised to protect the South American swing, which has a historic place in the calendar. However, the region will come under pressure in the future when Saudi Arabia’s Masters 1000 tournament starts, likely in the same month. That event is expected to be non-mandatory for players, but the extravagant money on offer could persuade players to prioritise Saudi Arabia over other tournaments.
Given South America’s strong history in the sport, some players argue that the region deserves to host a big event. Among those making such calls is former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, who has played in Santiago, Rio and Buenos Aires this year.
“Personally, I think South America deserves to have a top-level tournament on the tour. People here are passionate about the sport, and there are top players as well. The stadiums in Buenos Aires and Rio were packed, and I know Santiago can offer the same,” Berrettini said during an interview with Chilean newspaper El Mercurio.
The ATP are expected to confirm the date of the Saudi Arabian tournament and how it will fit in with South America later this year. Its first edition will be in 2028.
