Chief Executive doesn't blame Roger Federer for ATP Cup withdrawal
The ATP Chief Executive Chris Kermode said he fully understands Roger Federer's withdrawal from the ATP Cup. The topic generated a big criticism as the Basel native will play exhibition matches in South America and Asia. Kermode said: "The event business is sort of bigger than any player. You have to have that view. You have to have that long-term view. spoke to him a lot about it this week. Roger is 38 years old. He is at the tail end of his career. I think what he’s given to the game has been quite astonishing, 100 titles. He’s going to have to select now where he plays, how he plays, and I think no one expected that he’d be playing this long. And I think we have to respect that. Would it have been great if Roger played? Obviously. But I think we have to respect that decision. He didn’t take it lightly."
On the controversies regarding the prize money structure, Kermode added: "One of the difficulties of the organisation that cripples the organisation is that the chairman has to decide on prize money. If you have a prize money formula where it’s based on real numbers, real growth, you have one maybe big argument at the beginning about what that percentage split should be, but then you’re done. And then forever you don’t have to have these prize money negotiations. It’s just based on growth or not growth." With this structure is almost on a daily if not weekly schedule the players have a voice constantly at the table about player issues, which are dealt with. So I think for the players to lose that would be a big, big mistake."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2rFM7yt
No comments