Stefanos Tsitsipas Clarifies Stance on ‘Appearance Fees’ Comments About South American Swing After Receiving Backlash
Stefanos Tsitsipas declares that his injury struggles have not allowed him to feature in the South American swing.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas (Image via X/ESPN)
Stefanos Tsitsipas has clarified his controversial comment about not playing in ATP events in South America. The Greek star has come under criticism for claiming that tournaments in the Golden Swing don’t offer enough financial incentives to attract top players to compete compared to the Middle East swing.
Tsitsipas told CLAY during a recent interview that he never received a good appearance fee from tournaments in the Golden Swing (events in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico). Only the Mexican Open is played on a hard court, while the Argentina Open, Rio Open, and Santiago Open are played on clay.
However, the Golden Swing takes center stage in February, the same month as events in the Middle East, the United States, and France. At the Qatar Open, which Carlos Alcaraz won, 8 out of the top 20 players competed at the event, including his arch-rival Jannik Sinner. The pair was also given over $1 million as an appearance fee.
The Dubai Tennis Championships were held at the same time as the Acapulco Open and Santiago Open. Seven of the top 20 players featured in Dubai, while five competed in Acapulco, and only one in Santiago. The Dubai tournament gave champion Daniil Medvedev $619,160 in prize money, more than $200,000 of what the Mexican Open offers.
Argentina star Francisco Cerundolo criticized Tsitsipas for his comment, stressing that if he doesn’t want to come he shouldn’t talk down on the South America swing. Tsitsipas has now released a statement, clarifying that he never meant to criticize or complain about the tournament’s appearance fee in South America:
First of all, I truly enjoy playing in South America. The passion of the fans there is special, and I have a lot of respect for the tournaments and the culture around tennis in that region. My comments were never a complaint and never meant as criticism. On the ATP tour, players outside of prize money have very limited ways to support their careers financially. The reality is that ATP 250 and ATP 500 events are often the only opportunities where appearance fees exist. Because of that, scheduling decisions are sometimes influenced by those factors.
Nonetheless, the South American tournaments’ lack of financial incentives may force the ATP to reduce its level in 2028. The ATP has announced that the Saudi Arabia’s Masters 1000 event will kick start in 2028 and will be played in February. The tournament will be mandatory for top players in the circuit.
Stefanos Tsitsipas says his calendar forces him to not play at the South America swing
Stefanos Tsitsipas has struggled with injuries in recent years, which has led to his decline on tour. The former World No.3 has fallen to No.43 in the ATP rankings after failing to defend his Dubai Tennis Championships title. He crashed out in the first round after losing to Ugo Humbert in straight sets.
Tsitsipas has also tried to manage his schedule due to his return from a back injury a few months ago. January to March is hard court season on tour, however, the South America swing is played on clay, which can be complicated for players as they will get used to two different surfaces in a short period. The Greek star revealed that he has a different schedule which doesn’t allow him play in South America:
It is a standard model followed by many players, especially those competing at the top level. I was simply answering a question about why my calendar sometimes looks the way it does. I was explaining something that is common knowledge inside professional tennis, not expressing negativity toward any country or tournament. I have great appreciation for every place I compete in and I hope to play in many different regions of the world in the future as well.
Tsitsipas holds a 9-6 win-loss record on tour this season. He will be an unseeded player at the Indian Wells Open, which starts in March. He has a chance to earn a good run at the event and in the Miami Open, which will see him get back to the top 30 of the ATP rankings.
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