New York (AFP) – The exact formulation of a new Grand Slam player advisory council is still under discussion as top tournaments seek to strengthen relationships with tennis pros, US Tennis Association chief executive Craig Tiley said on the eve of the US Open on Saturday. The four Grand Slams — the US Open, Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon — announced the creation of the council on August 20, the same day that the USTA revealed the total player compensation for the final Grand Slam of 2026 would be $108 million. Both moves came in the wake of protests at the French Open and Wimbledon by players demanding a greater share of tournament revenue along with investment in pensions and player welfare.
Tiley said organizers of all four Grand Slams are still seeking feedback from players on how best to structure an advisory council. “We’ve got a recommendation, which that recommendation we would rather share directly with that playing group,” he said, adding that so far about 10 players have responded to an email inviting any player who has an interest in being involved to come forward. “We’ll include all those players in a conversation to say what’s the best way that we sort of develop representation, structure, process, you know, amount of meetings,” Tiley said. “Then the idea is to use that, maybe we call it a transition council, but to use that first group as a way to design the way forward.”
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Tiley, who took over as USTA CEO in July after overseeing tremendous growth of the Australian Open in two decades with Tennis Australia, said the latest US Open purse increase “was driven really within the organization, the sense that we need to give the players a fair share.” “I’ve always believed the players should be paid well, and I think they should be paid their fair share,” he said. “The role I played in my previous role was the same thing. We pushed the player compensation package at the Australian Open. The same thing has happened here and will continue to happen at the USTA.”
Men’s and women’s singles champions will earn $5.5 million each this year, but Tiley particularly pointed to a $2 million contribution to a new Player Support Program, to be directed toward player welfare initiatives with input from players themselves. Players are also receiving “additional things” including ride-share vouchers worth $2,500. “You will see the US Open continue to be a very player-friendly event,” Tiley said.
– Tennis Disneyland –
He also vowed it would remain fan-friendly, despite complaints of surging ticket prices for the event that runs from Sunday through September 13 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. According to price tracking platform TicketData, the cheapest ticket to the first week of the US Open was selling this week for about $288 on average. Those grounds admission tickets, with no seat guaranteed for any court, have a face value of $65. “I’ve been on the job for five weeks and I’ve learned more about the secondary market, and I learned it’s like if you want to get on the grounds and have to pay their (priced) tickets, it’s a price that’s challenging,” Tiley acknowledged.
In the meantime, he’s committed to expanding the offerings of “Fan Week” in the run-up to the tournament proper, with free access and on-site activities as well as a chance to watch favorite players practice. “This will become the tennis Disneyland,” Tiley said. “We’re going to have lots of opportunity for players and for young kids and for adults to come inside and have different experiences.”
© 2024 AFP
