Two-time grand slam quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios has accused tennis governing bodies of showing ‘poor form’ in their handling of a fund to support those during the Tour suspension.
On Tuesday it was announced that the ATP, WTA and ITF are currently in negotiations about a Player Relief Program triggered by the epidemic. All professional tournaments have been suspended since early March and has left many without the ability to earn money. The Tour is currently set to resume in July, but it is possible that the shutdown could be extended further in the coming weeks. Details of the program are still to be finalised but it will be administered by the ATP and WTA with all seven stakeholders set to make ‘a significant contribution.’
“We know that for our players, as well as for so many people worldwide, there is the need for financial support for those who need it most and we look forward to finalizing and sharing the further details of a plan in due course.” A statement said.
In the wake of the announcement, former top 20 player Kyrgios has accused the governing bodies of dragging their feet concerning the initiative. Many players have already publicly spoken out about their financial struggles due to the current situation. World No.371 Sofia Shapatava set up an online petition on change.org calling for support from the ITF, WTA and ATP a month ago.
“Should of happened a lot sooner, leaving all the players in the dark,” Kyrgios wrote about the announcement on Twitter.
“Poor form to be honest. Hurry up.”
Kyrgios’ decision to call out the governing bodies comes as a report published by the Associated Press highlights the severity of the current situation for some on the Tour. Unlike team sports, tennis players are essentially self employed with no contracts in place.
Mitchell Krueger is currently ranked 195th in the world. The 26-year-old admits that the current situation has led to him to contemplate potentially walking away from the sport. According to the AP, Krueger has made $39,264 so far in 2020 before expenses.
“You’re going to have a lot of players who feel they can’t survive, not making any money. After a while, they might get into something else, for what they think will be the meantime,” he said.
“Then maybe they realize, ‘Hey, this is actually better.’ If this goes on for the next nine months, who’s to say that they’re even going to bother trying to come back and play again?”
Meanwhile, world No.111 Denis Kudla says that his fellow Tour members ‘are panicking’ about being able to afford to pay essential bills such as rent.
The Player Relief Fund is expected to be in the region of $6 million. Although the exact details about where or how the money will be generated hasn’t been disclosed. Last week, Novak Djokovic issued a letter calling from the top 100 players to support their lower ranked peers placed between 250 and 700 in the ATP rankings. It is unclear if Djokovic’s plan will be incorporated in the program or not.
