Brazilian doubles tennis player Bruno Soares said the suspension of sports due to the coronavirus pandemic will affect tennis players the worst because of the globalised nature of the game.
The ATP Players Council member also spoke about how the extended break on tour will the hit the lower-ranked players financially.
“Tennis will be one of the last sports to return to normal activity. For those of us who work in tennis, the situation is worrying,” Soares was quoted as saying to La Nacion by the International Sports Press Association.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought all tennis to a standstill until June 8 at the earliest, with the entire European claycourt season wiped out. The French Open has shifted to September-October instead of its traditional May-June slot while Wimbledon looks set to be cancelled.
“As tennis players we have a big problem: it is a totally globalised sport. In other words, the Argentine or Brazilian soccer league, the NBA, to give examples, will be able to return if those countries have controlled the virus. But not in tennis. The world will have to control the virus for tennis to return,” he said.
The doubles star has been a member of the ATP Players Council for six years and said that the body, headed by world No 1 Novak Djokovic, have been discussing the financial implications of the suspension. The Players Council had a video call recently and are actively communicating via a WhatsApp group.
“There is a vast majority of players who need money on a monthly basis. There are some who can go six months without playing, but most do not. It’s complicated. We are looking at what we can do. It is a subject never seen before,” he said.
As things stand, tennis is a largely skewed sport when it comes to prize money. The Top 100 players make money while the lower rungs struggle, depending on the outcome of weekly tournaments scattered all over the globe and needing large-scale travel.
“There is a great concern for people who are 150, 200, 300 or 500 in the ranking, who have no way to earn money now. Among those of the Council we have a WhatsApp group. Djokovic, as president, is quite active, they are all very committed. I feel responsible, because I represent the doubles and there are many people who are in a difficult condition, without making money and are suffering a lot.” Soares added.
The Brazilian former world No 2 also admitted that an unsavoury outcome from the financial blows will be an increase in corruption cases and the ATP has to work to make sure match-fixing doesn’t rise.
“For players who do not know how to travel next month to play a tournament, it’s a temptation for a guy to come and offer them $10,000 or $15,000. So as an organisation, we have to educate the players and show them the consequences. It’s difficult to control, because most of these situations are in small tournaments,” he added.