The ATP denies a report in The Sunday Times of London that the players are seriously considering boycotting next year’s Australian Open over prize money. The paper reported that the ATP is considering staging an alternative event to the Australian Open, “almost certainly in Dubai.”
The players have been asking for bigger piece of the Grand Slam revenue pie. All the majors gave them increases in 2012, and when asked to, the last three majors gave a bigger percentage of the increases to first- and second-round winners and losers.
But ATP official Kate Gordon told TENNIS.com: “The ATP has been clear and repetitive in telling players that it will not organize a boycott. Instead, ATP Management and players have taken a diplomatic approach this year with the Grand Slams to address player compensation issues. The Grand Slams are important events that generate significant revenues, and the players who perform there should share in an acceptable percentage of those revenues—like they do on the ATP World Tour. We are pleased that the discussions initiated by the ATP with each of the Grand Slams this year have resulted in certain prize money increases for players in 2012, and we remain focused on our active dialogue with these events about player compensation for 2013 and beyond. The players remain unified and passionate about this issue.”