ATP
Money, money, money
THE legendary Swedish pop group Abba should be adopted by the ATP as its signature voice after reading of the obscene amount of money earned by the game’s top men in 2023.
Jealous? You bet, but to those who still argue they are not getting paid enough, take a look at these eye-watering numbers …
The regular ATP Tour season has come to an end and it is no surprise to see Novak Djokovic leading the prize money stakes.
So here’s the list…
Novak Djokovic
Prize money in 2023: $15,936,097
The world No. 1 only competed in 13 tournaments in 2023. However, he did win seven of those including three Grand Slams, two ATP Masters 1000s and the ATP Finals in Turin.
Carlos Alcaraz
Prize money in 2023: $10,753,431
Alcaraz won six titles, including Wimbledon. Poor form and injuries marred the latter part of the year for the young Spaniard.
Daniil Medvedev
Prize money in 2023: $9,239,679
The Russian won five titles in 2023, reaching the final of the US Open.
Jannik Sinner
Prize money in 2023: $8,349,392
Italian Sinner’s highlights was reaching the ATP Finals, beating Djokovic and making the final.
Andrey Rublev
Prize money in 2023: $5,488,934
It could have been more for the the young Russian, but poor discipline let him down. He has now lost nine Grand Slam quarter-finals.
Alexander Zverev
Prize money in 2023: $4,925,102
After a serious ankle injury Zverev has made a solid comeback, making the tope ten in the rankings.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Prize money in 2023: $4,852,266
After making the final of the Australian Open the Greek had high hopes for 2023. Sadly, it was not be as he failed to maintain a level of consistency that could hav seen him double his earnings.
Holger Rune
Prize money in 2023: $4,163,930
One to watch in 2024, Rune has been steady all year and with another solid season under his belt we could see big things from Holger in the new year.
TOP EIGHT TOTAL PRIZEMONEY: $63,708, 831
To put that into perspective, that figure would buy 2896 Toyota Corolla’s. Or for UK tennis fans, the wages of 1820 NHS nurses.
WIMBLEDON’S expansion plans suffered another predicted setback during the week after Wandsworth council voted unanimously to reject proposals for 38 new courts in neighbouring Wimbledon Park.
The application will now be referred to the Mayor of London’s office and the All England Club remains hopeful that it will still be given the green light.
“Naturally, we are disappointed by the London Borough of Wandsworth’s decision,” All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said in a statement.
“Our proposals will deliver one of the greatest sporting transformations for London since 2012, alongside substantial benefits for the local community.”
The decision was welcomed by the pressure group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP), whose members have campaigned against the proposals.
“This result is very heartening,” SWP chairman Iain Simpson said.
“The councillors unanimously recognised the crucial point that this application provides no justification for so much harm to metropolitan open land, our precious green belt.”
Photo: Tennis Australia/ NATASHA MORELLO
THE Ball issue we reported on last week has still not died down as Canadian Vasek Pospisil opened up about the issue and growing discontent between the ATP and players during the week.
Pospisil claimed about 50% of his colleagues have suffered injury one injury because of them.
“Players don’t talk about it openly,” Pospisil said. “I mean, how many wrist surgeries have we seen this year? I can name several players.”
Despite the ATP having a players’ council, Pospisil said that any ‘collaboration’ between the organisation and the players was a facade and that the complaints of the players ‘fall on deaf ears’.
“Players can complain, complain, complain; at the end of the day they don’t really have that much say in this sport,” Pospisil added.
FORMER world No.1 and captain of the Australian Davis Cup team Lleyton Hewitt has been at it again criticising the current format of the event.
Hewitt said he would like to see the return of home and away ties for the semi-final and final stages of the event.
Speaking to reporters in Malaga on Monday, when asked what he would change about the event, Hewitt, 42, replied: “to how it was.”
“The No. 1 thing is home-and-away ties. I have watched plenty of vision the last few years, even back in the day when I was playing,” he said.
“Coming back here to Spain and remembering 2000. Rafa Nadal was carrying the flag onto the court in front of over 20,000 people, all booing and screaming against me, and it was still an unbelievable atmosphere. That’s what the Davis Cup was about.
“Whether we played home semis and finals in Rod Laver Arena or away in France, in Nice, or Barcelona, it was an unbelievable experience and some of my best memories. Some of my hardest memories, as well, but some of my very best.”
ARGENTINIAN David Nalbandian has been accused of harassment and stalking by his ex-partner, Rosario Araceli Torrado.
Nalbandian admitted to having installed the camera in the room of the apartment where his ex-girlfriend lived last June but explained in his defence that he never used it as the camera did not work.
Torrado, a model, reported Nalbandian for harassment, but due to lack of evidence, the case may be heard in a civil court in Buenos Aires.
“Do you want me to be honest? Yes, I put it on that day,” Nalbandian told local media. “I couldn’t see it because I don’t know what the Internet chaos is. It can’t be seen. I couldn’t see anything.”
WE’VE had images during the break in the season on players on tropical beaches, but Caroline Garcia has decided to take a break from the courts and explore Antarctica.
Garcia posted two clips from her trip where she can be seen on the balcony of her cruise, holding a cup of coffee as the ship passed through the Drake Passage, a stretch of water that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and is known for its big waves and strong winds.
AND finally … an arrogant Novak Djokovic showed a side of his mentality as to why he will never be considered the GOAT compared to Federer or Nadal, when he lost his cool at the Davis Cup finals.
Djokovic angrily accused British fans of disrespecting him after sealing victory for Serbia over Great Britain in the quarterfinal.
The Serb was unhappy that fans were singing during his post-match interview.
“Learn how to respect players, how to behave yourselves, learn how to respect people, you shut up, you be quiet,” Djokovic shouted.
A bit rich from the antivaxxer who openly broke Australian immigration laws not that long ago.
Footnote: Jannick Sinner restored faith in tennis democracy as he beat Djokovic in singles and doubles to take Italy through to the final of the Davis Cup for their first time since 1008.
Alexander Zverev took a further step towards a defence of his 2025 title at the ATP Munich event with a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 hammering of Canada’s Gabriel Diallo on Thursday.
The German who won his only title of 2025 in his home nation faced an opponent carrying an injury in the 73-minute loss.
“I think he had some issues with his back and wasn’t serving fully in the second set anymore. Very unfortunate,” the 28-year-old world No. 3 said.
“Of course I am happy with the win and getting an easier match today.”
After days of cold weather, the spring sun finally made an appearance in the Bavarian capital.
Zverev advanced the the last eight with five breaks of serve and will bid fro a return to the semi-finals against fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo, a winner over Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-0.
“I played well from the baseline. I probably didn’t serve well in the first set, but it got better in the second. I am trying to improve every day,” the winner said as he reached a second straight quarter-final here..
Zverev has won their last four meetings.
“I’ve never beaten him on clay, which is his favourite surface, but I am definitely looking forward to the challenge,” Zverev said.
“I’m very happy to be at this stage, facing a tough opponent. That’s what it’s going to be tomorrow.”
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev with his 2025 Munich trophy
Roland Garros will continue to buck the trend of electronic linecalling, with Grand Slam tournament boss Amelie Mauresmo laying down the law on Thursday in Paris.
Unlike the other three majors which have sent teams of line judges into early retirement, the clay major will stick with the tried and true for another edition beginning on May 24.
In addition to tradition, the skid marks left on the dirt by ball makes determining in or out subjective enough to often require a keen eye.
“They are not 100% reliable,” Mauresmo said of the electronic systems currently in use.“Our decision was to stick to our way.”
But the former WTA No. 1 suddenly flipped the script when it comes to the controversial suggestion that women should play best-of-five-sets at the four majors just like the men.
The idea has drawn scorn from top women, but that does not dissuade Mauresmo.
“You can’t change a format overnight to go from best of three to best of five. But if we think about it, would it be only the semifinal, the final, or for all matches?” the former Wimbledon champion said.
“This could be a win-win situation but we have to talk about this with the women players.”
The Wimbledon winner admitted that she had often yearned during her playing days for longer contests.
“When I did the Masters (season-ending) final ( 2005) I would have wanted to do the final in best of five. So maybe one day, you never know.”
The former player would not be drawns out on the dreaded night matches at Roland Garros, formerly a fully daytinem event.
“We will talk about scheduling when the time comes,” she said.“Nothing is closed and nothing is set in stone, it depends on the draws and the lineups.”
Also on the table are likely to be the distribution of night matches, with women barely registering in the night-tiem hours during the 2025 edition.
On the final Saturday there has been one change: The men’s doubles final will be played before the women’s singles final and not afterward.
“We will talk about scheduling when the time comes,” the TD said. “Nothing is closed and nothing is set in stone, it depends on the draws and the lineups.”
In the continuing prize money arms race among the four Grand Slams, Roland Garros announced a rise to a global USD 72 million in player payouts, a rise of USD 6.25 million.
Carlos Alcaraz quit the Barcelona Open with a wrist injury and cast serious doubt on his fitness and availability for run-up events prior to next month’s French Open.
The Spaniard who lost his No. 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner through Sunday’s loss to the Italian in the Monte Carlo Casters final was unable to carry on at his home event in Barcelona.
Alcaraz quit the clay event prior to his second-round match against Tomas Machac. The Spaniard injured his wrist in a first-round win over Finn Otto Virtanen and warned that he could make no solid commitment yet to furue play due to his injury.
“It’s with great sadness I have to go back home to start my recovery as soon as possible with my team, with the doctors, with the physio, and try to be as healthy as possible as soon as possible for (future) tournaments,” he said.
“Let’s hope, that you can see me back on a tennis court as soon as possible.”
Alcaraz is now touch and go for the Madrid Masters oddly starting in a week next Wednesday as the ATP stretches out the Masters events in an unpopular money-spinning exercise.
Alcarraz could face a serious hit to his ranking if he cannot front up in the Spanish capital and next month in Rome, with titles to defend in both venues.
“But I’ve seen today’s tests, and it’s a slightly more serious injury than we all expected.
“In the end I have to listen to my body, what won’t affect me later on: That’s why I have to withdraw from this tournament.
“I never like to withdraw from any tournament, but especially from this one,”
Sun shines as Zverev reaches Munich quarters
RG to retain the human touch in linecalling
Red alert for Alcaraz as wrist injury flares
-
ATP4 weeks agoFrench Tennis Federation release Roland Garros 2026 poster by JR
-
ATP4 weeks agoFonseca to provide a tough start for Alcaraz
-
ATP4 weeks agoSinner makes a move as No. 1 race tightens
-
ATP4 weeks agoAlcaraz re-establishes seeded superiority over Fonseca
-
ATP4 weeks ago
Sinner storms into 3rd round in rainy Miami
-
Indian wells4 weeks agoSabalenka secures 7th straight win on US hardcourt
-
ATP4 weeks agoKorda topples Alcaraz in monster Miami win
-
Miami Open4 weeks agoRetirement ends upset dreams for UK spolier Jones