Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim Wonder Whether Players Will ‘Sit Out’ of Majors to Leverage Prize Money Increase

Former World No.1 Andy Roddick also called the 11-month tennis calendar 'insane'.

Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim Wonder Whether Players Will ‘Sit Out’ of Majors to Leverage Prize Money Increase

Andy Roddick, Jon Wertheim (Image via X/AllAboutHQ, Express Sport)

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This year, twice the top 10 players sent letters to the four Grand Slam tournaments, demanding higher prize money, pensions, and other benefits from the revenue. The four Grand Slams, Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, generate the majority of revenue in tennis.

But players only get a small share of the revenue, between 12.5% and 20%. The percentage in other sports is significantly more.

Because of this, as well as several other reasons, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) sued the Majors as well as other tennis governing bodies, including the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Former player Andy Roddick and tennis journalist Jon Wertheim discussed tennis right, players’ pay, and why the tennis system is broken during the latest episode of the Served podcast. On the players’ remand for a higher Grand Slam revenue percentage, Roddick said:

No one is saying that tennis players are underpaid compared to anyone else. The percentage of prize money in revenue that they get from the biggest entities, compared to other sports, and what they get from the biggest entities, is crazily skewed to the… not to the benefit of tennis.

Wertheim thinks players need to figure out what their leverage is in their fight for this.

Apart from the scant proportion of gross revenue, bear in mind too that the Majors don’t pay into pensions. There are no benefits… Basically, these top players in this group, spearheaded by Larry Scott, need to figure out whether they want to take the gloves off… What is your leverage? It’s the root of all negotiations. If they’re not prepared to sit out of the Majors, I am not sure what the leverage is.

Jon Wertheim said

Men’s World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, during the Japan Open (which he went on to win), said the situation at that time was “a mess”. Novak Djokovic thinks players have to unite to push for major changes.

Andy Roddik on the insane tennis schedule

Apart from an increase in Grand Slam revenue percentage, players also have complaints regarding the tennis schedule. The schedule lasts for 11 months, giving the players not much time to rest and recover. Sometimes, they are forced to play through injuries in mandatory events, fearing a ranking drop.

Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick (Image via #AusOpen)

Andy Roddick has time and again discussed the same on his podcast. On the latest episode of Served, the 2003 US Open champion once again called the tennis calendar insane.

Everyone knows that the season is too long. Inserting 12 days…even if you can fix it in the calendar to not…it creates way less flexibility for players. If you’re nursing an injury, if you have to make an adjustment, you’re not just missing one week…it’s just insane! A day of rest or two days of rest at a tournament is not the same as a week or two of rest while you’re training.

Andy Roddick said

Last year, Carlos Alcaraz said the tennis calendar can “kill” players. Women’s World No.2 Iga Swiatek has time and again complained to the media that the top bodies need to make changes to the calendar. World No.3 Coco Gauff has called the calendar “chaotic”.

This year, the ATP made it mandatory for the players to feature in at least four ATP 500 events, including one after the US Open. Both the ATP and the WTA have changed the 1000 events, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, from a weeklong tournament to a 12-day event.

The ATP and the WTA calendars ended after the year-end championships. Jannik Sinner emerged victorious in the former, while Elena Rybakina took home the latter.

Also read: Former Russian Star Questions Novak Djokovic’s Desire to Play at the LA Olympics in 2028