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A grand slam-led “premier tour” is both logical and hard to imagine, where do player clothes go charity, friends, and some lucky goodwill stores, serena williams open to owning wnba team, calls women’s sport “overly safe bet”, zheng qinwen wins in stuttgart, picks up lancôme deal alongside world no. 1 iga swiatek, stefanos tsitsipas surpasses 30 million dollars in career prize money after winning monte carlo, more singles stars in doubles atp to debut trial in madrid enticing singles players to join forces, atp tour to trial changes for doubles tennis: faster matches, easier entry for singles players, jannik sinner surpasses 20 million dollars in career prize money after winning miami open, dana mathewson says historic miami open invitational is “the next chapter for wheelchair tennis”, the atp tour's 2025 calendar includes expanded events in canada and cincinnati, a grand slam-led “premier tour” is both logical and hard to imagine.

Is the merger of 6 different entities in tennis seriously going to happen? Even the @atptour bundle the 500’s and 250’s together with the 1000’s as a tv package so where does that leave them? If the proposed merger of the 1000’s and Slams happen, the ATP will be left with some… — Mark Petchey (@_markpetchey) November 29, 2023

Tennis’ Grand Slams premium tour plan: More money, equal pay, fewer tournaments

After months of playing shots off the back foot, the four Grand Slam tournaments have gone on the offensive in the battle for the future of tennis . 

In meetings with representatives of the men’s ATP and women’s WTA tours last week in London, and with players and agents this week in Madrid, leaders of the Grand Slams have presented their strongest plan yet to reform the current structure of professional tennis . It consists of a premium tour anchored in the four Grand Slams and more top-level combined events, featuring the best players from the ATP and WTA circuits.

According to a person briefed on the proposal from the Grand Slams and the ensuing meetings, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, the details include the following:

• Doubling the prize money for the top 300 men.
• ⁠Almost quadrupling the prize money for the top 300 women.
• Using a portion of their own media rights to finance these changes.
• Equal pay , from inception, for men and women at all the events on the premium tour, instead of making women wait until 2027 to receive the same pay as men at some of the biggest tournaments.
• A schedule that includes the four Grand Slams, plus 10 other mixed top-level tournaments, with locations and dates to be determined, and a team event.
• The tour would end in time to allow for an off-season of six to eight weeks.

The plan would capitalize on the lucrative media rights of the Australian, French and U.S. Opens, alongside Wimbledon, and those of the other top Masters tournaments, to create a premium tour — various versions of which have been at the core of their previous proposals, but with little meat on the bones beyond that. ESPN’s 11-year-deal for the U.S. Open is worth almost $800 million (£647.7m), and it is estimated that media rights account for over half of the annual revenue for the All England Tennis Club, which stages Wimbledon, year in, year out.

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The Slams say the plans will vastly increase pay for men and women more quickly than the ATP and WTA can achieve, focus the season around 15 events in a premium tour and extend an off-season that has shrunk to just a few weeks for the top players.

Leaders of the Grand Slams and the tours were not immediately available for comment. 

How to fix tennis

Leaders of the ATP and the WTA, who have long viewed the collective plan from Wimbledon and the U.S., French and Australian Opens as a threat to their relevance and perhaps their existence, are not enthusiastic about this latest idea, according to the person briefed on the plan and the meetings.

Discussions between the tours and the Grand Slams have become less fraught in recent weeks, according to reporting from the BBC . While one official recently described “productive discussions” among the parties of late, this latest move could jeopardize any hint of detente that may have started to develop in the past few months.

It shows that even as the tours moved to firm up their control of the sport, the Grand Slams continued to work toward wresting it from them, something they have been pushing for since last summer.

The leaders of the two tours have long sought guarantees that they will have significant roles in governing the sport, and this iteration of a premium tour would relegate most of their tournaments to a lesser status which top players would have much less incentive to participate in. 

Now, the tours’ lack of enthusiasm might be moot, because by bringing the players into the discussion for the first time, the Grand Slams are playing a significant card.

It is their strongest move yet to curry favor with the people who have proven time and again to hold the most power in tennis — the stars of the sport, who attract the fans to buy tickets and to watch the matches at home.

They are now promising to give those players many of the things they have been seeking for years, including accelerating the closing of the gap in prize money that endures at several mixed 1000-level events and, overall, including greater financial rewards for a less demanding schedule than the current 11-month slog that incentivizes players to risk their health and wellbeing by playing in as many tournaments as possible.

The Grand Slams’ leaders have pushed for months to use existing 250 and 500-level tournaments to create a qualifying tour for players outside roughly the top 100. Top players could potentially participate in those events but not earn rankings points from them.

Most importantly, to help finance this premium tour, the Grand Slams have committed for the first time to include a portion of their media and sponsorship rights, which are the most expensive in the sport and that they have long kept largely for themselves.

For months, the Grand Slams had held back on such a commitment as they negotiated among themselves about how much of their resources they wanted to invest in an effort that would make them major financial partners in the future of the professional level of tennis, rather than independent entities that hold annual competitions — even if they are the sport’s biggest annual competitions of all.

However, during the past year, the tours have made a series of moves that the Grand Slams have viewed as a threat to their primacy, including potentially disrupting a schedule that climaxes four times a year with the Grand Slams.

Leaders of the organizations that control the Grand Slams have decided that the only way to ensure that they maintain their strength is through further investment in the overall management of the sport.

In meetings, and in a presentation at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, in March, top tennis leaders were still waiting for a premium tour plan that the Grand Slams had purportedly been fleshing out for months — to the extent that the proposed presentation had slipped from last November, at the ATP Finals in the Italian city of Turin. Four months later, no framework for the integration of media rights and other commercial partnerships was in place.

Now, another month on, the Slams have made their move.

The latest move comes after Andrea Gaudenzi, the leader of the ATP, pushed for the tours to invest in a plan that would bring in roughly $1billion of investment in tennis from Saudi Arabia . Most of that money would come from the sale of a new tournament, a 10th Masters 1000 event. 

A bid process for the event is ongoing, also involving Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, fellow Gulf state Qatar’s capital Doha and Australia, with most people involved in the process expecting the Saudis to prevail, adding the tournament to its three-year deals for the season-ending WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, in November, and for the Next Gen Finals the following month.

Inside Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in sport

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• The 2034 World Cup and what it means

While a portion of the infusion of cash from Saudi Arabia would eventually filter down to the players, it comes with costs to the schedule that players already say is far too long, including adding another top-level, mandatory tournament, possibly at the very start of the calendar after the already-shrunken off-season. It’s also not yet clear what opportunities for additional growth would be available after the money from the additional tournament is spent.

The Grand Slams are operating on the principle that, in contrast, a premium tour that can pool its media rights and sell them as a singular, elite, exclusive package to sponsors and media companies — in the fashion of Formula 1 — could bring to the market the kind of focused tennis product that the fractured sport has been trying in vain to come up with for decades. 

The battle moves on.

(Top photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP)

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Matthew Futterman is an award-winning veteran sports journalist and the author of two books, “Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed” and “Players: How Sports Became a Business.”Before coming to The Athletic in 2023, he worked for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Star-Ledger of New Jersey and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He is currently writing a book about tennis, "The Cruelest Game: Agony, Ecstasy and Near Death Experiences on the Pro Tennis Tour," to be published by Doubleday in 2026. Follow Matthew on Twitter @ mattfutterman

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Premier Tour proposals signify Saudi influence and a tipping point for tennis

Proposal has powerful backers and would revolutionise a sport attracting attention from the Saudi Public Investment Fund

D uring her glory days as a professional tennis player, Gabriela Sabatini evolved from a child prodigy to an icon. By her 26th birthday, though, the 1990 US Open champion was burnt out . Among her frustrations was a refrain that has echoed from too many players across the decades: the season was too long. “The only free month was December but because matches start again in January you have only 10 days off then you have to train,” Sabatini said in an interview with the Guardian in 2003.

For decades, the length of the season has put a strain on players and it is one of numerous complaints that have gone unresolved. Players outside the top 100 also still struggle to break even, with inflation devouring the modest prize money on the ITF World Tennis Tour. The calendar is fractured and illogical, failing to minimise travel distances between tournaments along with the sport’s carbon footprint.

Meanwhile the sport’s governing bodies – the four grand slam tournaments, the Association of Tennis Professionals, the Women’s Tennis Association and International Tennis Federation – have often been in competition rather than working together to improve the sport. Since the dawn of the Open era more than 50 years ago, one of the few points of agreement is that the sport has been too fractured to live up to its potential.

Enter the Premier Tour, a new format now being pushed by the four grand slam tournaments. If they succeed, it would overhaul the current system and change the face of the sport.

While the proposals are not fully developed, the proponents of this tour want to create a streamlined product to replace the current inefficient, sprawling 48-week affair. The tour would be reduced to 10 large events with 96-player draws for both men and women alongside the four majors, a year‑end final and a team event. Around 100 players would qualify each year, with lesser players competing on a separate developmental tour and being eligible to reach the Premier Tour come the end of the year.

Tennis often seeks inspiration from other sports and the Premier Tour is plainly an attempt to copy Formula One’s grand prix format. There are merits to these ideas, such as a shorter season and the alignment of men’s and women’s tours with equal prize money, but it also feels like the tennis version of the European Super League proposed in football. It has the makings of a tour focused on elite players, and may make a lot of money, but threatens to erase many of the sport’s current virtues.

One of the key reasons tennis is so popular is its global reach. Despite this, some of the sport’s leaders seem interested only in Anglo countries, parts of western Europe, and piles of money provided by oil‑rich Middle Eastern countries and China.

This was evident in Sports Illustrated’s interview with Lew Sherr , the US Tennis Association’s chief executive, who tried to explain the merits of the Premier Tour. “You might have six events in a given week,” he said. “Fans struggle to know where they should be watching. Why is [Jannik] Sinner playing in Rotterdam and [Carlos] Alcaraz is somewhere in South America?”

The unmentioned locations in South America that had the opportunity to glimpse Alcaraz’s greatness: Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, two major, global cities.

The fluidity of the rankings is also part of the magic of the tour, with lower-ranked players able to rise swiftly at any point in the year. One day a player can be competing on the ATP Challenger tour, the next day they are toppling Alcaraz in a major tournament. The 500- and 250-level tournaments would be crushed, and players outside the top 30 would largely become cannon fodder for the elite, with opportunities for them to win tournaments significantly reduced.

As officials ponder the possibility of the Premier Tour, these ideas are in some ways a response to the emerging presence of Saudi Arabia in the sport. The initiative has particularly been orchestrated by Craig Tiley, chief executive of Tennis Australia, whose organisation would take a significant blow if Saudi Arabia hosts a Masters 1000 event at the beginning of the year.

After signalling their interest with a number of exhibitions in recent years, including a match between Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz in Riyadh in 2023, and Rafael Nadal’s appointment as an ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation, the Saudis have finally arrived in tennis.

In February the ATP and the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, struck a lucrative strategic deal, incorporating PIF in a number of its initiatives, including as title sponsor of its rankings. At the Miami Open its presence was conspicuous, from its logo on the back board to the incessant sponsored social media posts.

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Saudi Arabia’s growing profile in professional tennis could take the sport in a completely different direction to the proposed Premier Tour. PIF is keen to host a significant event on the calendar and to have a strong presence in the tennis ecosystem. Meetings conducted with Andrea Gaudenzi, the ATP chief executive, in Saudi Arabia culminated in PIF offering more than $1bn (£790m) combined to the ATP and WTA.

The ATP confirmed to the Telegraph that it has opened the bidding process for a 10th Masters 1000 event, and it is clear that relevant parties include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Tennis Australia. While discussions surrounding the Premier Tour are still at an early stage and it is uncertain how far they will go, Saudi Arabia’s growing presence and influence in tennis is undeniable.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia made its biggest move within the sport as the WTA finally confirmed that the WTA Finals will be held in Riyadh in a three-year deal starting in 2024.

For months it has been an open secret that its flagship event would be held in Saudi Arabia, prompting the WTA last year to supply players with talking points on the subject. While the majority of players either echoed those talking points or declined to comment, at Wimbledon a dissenting opinion came from Daria Kasatkina, the highest ranked out gay singles player.

“It’s easier for the men because they feel pretty good there,” said Kasatkina, who travels with and vlogs alongside her girlfriend, the figure skater Natalia Zabiiako . “We don’t feel the same way. Money talks in our world right now. For me, I don’t think that everything is about the money.”

As another European clay-court season begins, tennis stands at a tipping point with multiple possibilities ahead and, with them, ample uncertainty and doubt.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here .

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The future of tennis: What we know about the two proposals that may change the sport

• D'Arcy Maine, ESPN.com

The sport of tennis might be on the verge of some major changes.

Over the past several years, players have become increasingly vocal about their concerns, ranging from equal pay to challenging travel and tournament conditions to economic hardships for lower-ranked players.

Now, it seems that the sport might be on the brink of substantial changes that could address some of those complaints -- and increase revenue for all of the sport's shareholders.

There have been two different proposals gaining traction -- one backed by the four Grand Slam tournaments and the other by the ATP and WTA tours -- and both could have significant effects on the tennis landscape for years to come.

So, what does this all mean? ESPN spoke to several sources involved in the sport -- both on and off the record -- and here's what we know so far about the proposed changes in tennis.

What are the proposals currently being discussed?

While many of the specific details remain unknown, there are two -- not entirely mutually exclusive -- proposals that have gained momentum in recent weeks among tennis' chief governing bodies. The first involves the inclusion of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and a 1000-level event (the highest level of tournament outside of the majors and the year-end finals) for both the ATP and WTA in the country. It would also combine commercial assets, including media rights, between the ATP and the WTA.

The second, perhaps more radical, idea has come from the four Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open) and their respective federations, and would create what is currently being called the "Premier Tour." The tour would essentially supplant the ATP and WTA and would hold approximately 10 tournaments, in addition to the four majors, as well as an international team event and a year-end final, all featuring the top men and women and offering equal prize money. A lower-tier tour would also be created for players outside the expected cutoff of the top 100.

What more do we know about the one involving Saudi Arabia's PIF?

Essentially, Saudi Arabia wants to host a 1000-level event -- the highest tournament tier outside of the majors and the year-end finals -- for men and women, awarding equal prize money. As the tennis calendar is mostly full of events around the globe and a seemingly ever-shortening offseason, the tournament would likely be held in January, ahead of the Australian Open and during the time frame that the United Cup, the Adelaide International and the Auckland Open traditionally take place.

Over the past few years, the PIF has become increasingly involved in global sports , including golf, soccer and Formula One, in addition to tennis. In 2023, Jeddah became the host city for the ATP's Next Gen Finals, and in February, it was announced that the PIF had signed a five-year deal for the naming rights for the ATP's rankings, as well as courtside branding at various events, including Indian Wells and Miami. Earlier this month, the WTA announced it would be holding its year-end finals for the next three seasons in Riyadh.

"Hosting the WTA Finals is absolutely huge for the future of tennis in Saudi Arabia and growing sport in general, especially amongst our young girls," Arij Mutabagani, the president of the Saudi Tennis Federation, said in a statement. "And that's entirely our focus, to inspire future generations of players and celebrate women's tennis."

The potential 1000-level tournament would bring in more involvement, and money from the PIF -- over one billion dollars - and would also see further cooperation between the ATP and WTA. While many, such as Billie Jean King and Roger Federer , have called for a formal merger between the two organizations in recent years, and some initial reports indicated that possibility was being discussed, multiple sources told ESPN they would remain separate but would pool elements like sponsorships and media rights.

The PIF did not respond to requests for comment.

Would this be similar to LIV Golf? What makes it different?

By all accounts, this would not be like LIV Golf. While LIV Golf is its own independent tour , separate from the PGA Tour and with players barred from being members of both, this proposal fits directly into the current ATP and WTA framework, and there is already formal cooperation between all parties.

At least some involved in tennis have been closely watching what has happened in golf and want to ensure the sport doesn't follow suit.

"I don't think every single person is going to agree with [partnering with the PIF]," current world No. 5 and WTA player council member Jessica Pegula told reporters at the Miami Open last month. "But at the same time, for the protection of our sport and what we saw happen with golf and all of that stuff, I think it's something that we kind of have to deal with. I don't think we can kind of just say, 'Oh, it's never going to happen.' I think after what happened with golf, we've kind of had to take on a different side of that instead of totally ignoring them."

Three-time major champion Andy Murray echoed Pegula's sentiments in an interview with Sky Sports .

"If the sport doesn't allow the Saudis to have some involvement then what will they do in response to that," Murray said. "Will it be like golf where there's like a huge fracturing within the sport? That's obviously not good. No one wants that. I wouldn't want any of the top players leaving the ATP Tour to go and play elsewhere."

What do we know about the Premier Tour idea?

Looking to build on the popularity of the major tournaments, the four Slams came together with the Premier Tour proposal. The tour would likely feature the top 100 men and women, and there would be a lower-level tour for those ranked outside of the cutoff. Both tours would include combined tournaments and equal prize money -- something that doesn't currently exist at every tournament -- and there would be some sort of promotion and relegation for players, like in the Premier League in soccer, at the end of every season. There is also promise of at least a two-month offseason for players.

Lew Sherr, the CEO of the U.S. Tennis Association, declined to speak to ESPN for this article but he told The Associated Press in a recent interview that the sport was currently "underperforming" and in need of reform "to unlock what we think is an enormous potential." He cited a recent study that interviewed more than 5,000 tennis fans around the world and found that 70% watch only the major tournaments.

"The conclusion was that the season lacks consequence, that tennis is confusing to follow, and that fans don't understand which tournaments matter, and which don't, at any given point in the season," Sherr said. "They know the four Slams. But other than that, there's not a compelling narrative. We dilute and compete with ourselves by having two, three, four, five, six tournaments going on at any one point in time. And we're competing with our own product."

At present, tennis has multiple governing bodies -- the four Slams, the two tours, as well as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) -- and all have their own interests, priorities and sponsorship and media deals. The proposal would seek to streamline the sport and create a centralized, singular organization at the helm. It would also, according to Sherr and his peers, make it accessible and easy for fans to follow throughout the year. Currently, in any given week, there can be multiple tour-level events in various countries. Last week, for example, there were three ATP tournaments and two WTA tournaments held in four different continents and across multiple time zones.

Few financial details about the Premier Tour are currently known, including where the initial funding would come from and if the various corporate and media partners already working with the individual Slams would be involved.

These sound like two separate ideas, are they mutually exclusive?

While in many ways these proposals contradict one another, and a Premier Tour seems to directly challenge the continuation of the ATP and the WTA, there is some room for these ideas to coexist.

First, and perhaps most easily, because the Premier Tour would likely host 10 tournaments, in addition to the Slams, many believe the current 1000-level events would at least be in consideration for those slots. There are six 1000-level tournaments that are combined for the ATP and WTA -- with the ATP holding three others and the WTA four additional -- and Saudi Arabia could certainly be a viable contender to host one of those Premier Tour tournaments.

Additionally, those involved in the Slams do not have the experience of running a yearlong tour, and Sally Bolton, the CEO of the All England Club, said they have no interest in doing so. "Certainly not," she told the AP . Perhaps the ATP and WTA, or a combined form of them, could be tasked with the operations and even remain in existence to some extent under this structure.

What are players saying? Do they feel strongly about either idea?

According to Ahmad Nassar, the executive director of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), players have questions about the specifics of both. With the Premier Tour and the lack of concrete details, they want to know primarily how it will work, who will oversee the day-to-day operations and what it means for those ranked outside the threshold, as well as for doubles specialists.

John Isner , the former world No. 8 who retired in September after 17 seasons on tour, remains involved with the PTPA, and he told ESPN he was also interested in what would happen to the 500- and 250-level events on tour.

"My concern with the Premier Tour is what the other tournaments will look like," Isner said. "How will they be valued? Where will they fit in the calendar? Who can play in them? Would they be a complete afterthought or would the tour put a lot of effort into them? I'm just not sure."

But many involved in the sport are also concerned about the possible addition of a mandatory 1000-level event at the start of the season in Saudi Arabia, especially because it would be over 7,000 miles away and in a time zone seven hours behind the Australian Open, which would start soon after. Players have complained about the physical and mental toll of the relentless globetrotting nature of the tour, and this seems to only add to that.

"I understand that it's business and billions with a B are in the mix, but for me, I just want things to be fair and there to be an understanding that we are still people and we still get tired and fatigued," Taylor Townsend , currently ranked No. 57 in singles and No. 12 in doubles, told ESPN. "I hope there's an understanding that if you're adding [another 1000-level event], something needs to be taken away so players don't get overworked. Even if we're getting paid more, we might not be able to play our best and it won't be as good of a show [for fans]."

And for others, there remain crucial questions about personal safety and well-being in Saudi Arabia. Daria Kasatkina , currently ranked No. 11 in the world, is openly gay and her team has been uneasy about the possibility of her playing in the country since it was first rumored to be hosting the WTA Finals.

"I love Dasha like a little sister or a daughter or a niece, it's more than just a business relationship," said John Morris, Kasatkina's agent. "I genuinely love and care about her as a person and I would be worried or fearful of her being there with her girlfriend. I'm not asking them to roll out a rainbow carpet for her, but I want to know that she's going to be absolutely safe. If she holds her girlfriend's hand in the hotel lobby or wins a match and kisses her, I need to know she is going to be safe. We have raised these issues with the WTA and they have assured us these [topics] have been discussed and are OK."

Morris, who is the director of SeventyTwo Sports Group and represents several tennis players, said he also asked the WTA about the safety of players traveling and sharing a hotel room with their unmarried partners but was assured of their protection as well.

Former players Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova voiced their opposition to the WTA's involvement with Saudi Arabia in an open letter in The Washington Post in January, citing the nation's treatment of women and those in the LGBTQ+ community, and calling the decision to hold the WTA Finals there "significant regression." However, current players have not been as publicly opposed.

Isner referenced China, another country in which the ATP and WTA both host a number of events annually, and its history of human rights violations as part of his reasoning for not being against Saudi Arabia's involvement. "Where do you draw the line on human rights?" he asked.

Sloane Stephens , the 2017 US Open champion and a former WTA player council member, said she simply wanted what would ensure the longevity and success of women's tennis.

"I think sports in general is evolving, is changing. I think the sport is going to go to Saudi Arabia with or without [the WTA]," Stephens said. "Obviously, men are playing tons of exhibitions and they've already played there. We're kind of left behind. I think if we don't start to understand better and make the same adjustments or movements in that direction, again, the WTA tour, the women will get left behind regardless, which I think is unfair. ... I think we need to do whatever is best for our tour. Not only now but for the next generation of players."

When will any decisions be made?

Officials from the ATP and WTA will meet later this month in Madrid to further discuss the possibility of a tour event in Saudi Arabia, as well as potentially pooling assets.

The ATP and WTA said in a statement to Reuters that they are "exploring discussions that would enable us to leverage assets across both Tours via the creation of a new joint commercial entity, delivering more value to players, tournaments, and fans, while remaining as separate Tours."

The Premier Tour's outlook remains more unclear. Bolton said nothing will happen "any time before 2026" but believed the process could be accelerated with widespread support. However, no one who spoke to ESPN, on or off the record, was certain about what the next steps were for the tour or what would happen next.

So, what happens next?

First and foremost, there are many questions that need to be addressed, and conversations are expected to continue between all parties. But beyond that is simply unknown.

"I look at this time as an opportunity to have a complete reset," Morris said. "If everyone can take their egos out of it and do what's best for tennis, and view this as a blank page, we can improve the sport for players and fans, and then we will all benefit."

Still, those involved in the sport are optimistic these proposals don't lose momentum and real change eventually occurs.

"A lot of these discussions aren't particularly new, but it does feel different this time," Nassar said. "I took the job [with the PTPA] because I thought something like this was on the horizon. And the players thought something like this was on the horizon. That's why they started the PTPA. What appealed to me about the job was that this doesn't happen often in already established global sports. And so being part of hopefully a solution or change for the better is definitely exciting.

"But it will be really disappointing if in a year from now we've fumbled this opportunity. This is our window. Let's go figure something out."

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Mailbag: Garbiñe Muguruza’s Retirement and Future Hall of Fame Bid

• Author: Jon Wertheim

Welcome and welcome back. We just crossed into May and already it’s been quite a year at Sports Illustrated . Happily, we seem to have landed softly in the hands of a responsible and ethical new steward. In tennis terms, we’ve gotten a reset. 

SI lives. 

The mailbag lives.

• Thanks for your assorted comments, questions and concerns during an uncertain period for the enterprise. 

• A few of you asked: you can send questions via social media or the old school email: [email protected].

• If you want the mailbag link sent directly to your inbox, we can make that happen. Just email your address.

• Andy Roddick and I are having a lot of fun with Served . Your comments, suggestions, observations, objections to the cursing, and objections to the bleeping are welcome. Here’s the latest podcast episode .

• Comedy Central had a go at the tennis vs. pickleball war. (Takeaway: who knew Patrick McEnroe had this level of comedy chops?)

Let’s start with a toast. The ghoul pool is awfully deep these days. Rafa, Andy, Stanislas, Venus. Gael … the players whose career obits are being written in advance right now, who are unlikely to finish 2024? They are sufficiently well known that no surnames are required. Then, last week, another future Hall of Famer called it a career. Already on hiatus, Garbiñe Muguruza announced that she was tapping out .

First, let’s dispense with the Hall of Fame talk. She’s in. It’s not a close call. No challenges to the chair, please. We can debate the Hall’s precedents and standards for admission. But given the state of play, Muguruza qualifies. Multiple majors. Other deep runs at majors. A stint in the rankings penthouse. As we’ve written before, prize money—normed for present value—tends to be a good indicator of success. Her $25 million speaks volumes.

There comes a point in any discussion when we must trot out two of our favorite tennis factoids/quirks. And it is this: Muguruza won 10 career titles. Eight came on hard courts. The others? Wimbledon and Roland Garros—of course, the two biggest events not played on hard courts. The other: she beat both Serena and Venus Williams in the two major finals she won. (Nerding out: she hit a match point ball on the line to beat Serena; on match point against Venus, she won a challenge.)   

Garbine Muguruza of Spain hits to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic.

Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

The retirement announcement was, at once, surprising—she’s only 30; she’s only a few years from winning the WTA Finals; she is/was an athletic player who could heat up as fast as she could cool off—and not at all surprising. She had spoken openly about the lack of fulfillment the sport had brought her recently. (Less openly, it must be noted that a former coach bleached some of her joy from the sport.) This was a player who, you suspected, had achieved enough for her liking and was looking forward to pivoting to a more conventional life. Good on her.

Another omnibus … We’ve gotten a lot of questions/takes/quests for clarity on the great tennis rivalry of 2024: CEO of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley versus ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi … the Premier Tour versus what I am calling “Tours Marry—and the Saudis fund the reception and honeymoon.” 

All signs suggest that starting in 2026, pro tennis will look considerably different. The question is how so? And who is happier at the handshake? 

This is a fluid story, but here are some quick points:

A. The Masters 1000s hold most of the cards. Will they decide to break free of the tours and partner with the majors? Or will they elect to stick with the tour format?

B. If the Premier Tour prevails, what happens to the tours? And what happens to the 100-plus events that will, effectively, be downgraded? What happens to the players outside the 100? (Conversely: What happens when the majors take the unusual step of banding together, creating an alternative entity to kneecap the tours … and don’t prevail?)

C. At some level, we ought to applaud the Premier Tour’s boldness. For decades everyone has complained about tennis’s verkakte structure and governance and balkanization. The Premier Tour addresses this head-on. “We are shaking this s--- up!” …. But the more one pokes, the more holes emerge. The generously compensated consultants may have helped with PowerPoints and impressive financial projections. But there are still so many unanswered (or insufficiently answered) questions that come trailing inconveniently, like toilet paper stuck to a shoe. This plan was clearly conceived first as defense (Tiley insistent on keeping his Aussie January intact). Then it became offense (the majors form an alliance and put their hip-high boots on the necks of the tours). But so many details were glossed over or ignored altogether. 

D. Though Tiley was in Madrid, right now it’s advantage, Gaudenzi. But he (and the ATP) has a real problem. Where to put the Saudi 1000 event, on which so much financing is conditioned? How does he repair the damage with the Dubai and Doha events, who wonder, not unreasonably, Wait, I’ve been paying dues here since the 90s. And the Saudis jump the line? Where’s the loyalty ? Putting the Saudi event in Week 1 is an act of war against Tiley and Tennis Australia.

E. We were told that the “open bid” for the 1000 event only yielded two takers: Saudi Arabia and Dubai. (Neither Doha nor Tennis Australia submitted.) The Saudi bid was higher. Where would a Saudi Masters 1000 go on the clogged artery that is the calendar? (There are only two real choices: the first week of the year and sandwiched between the French Open and Wimbledon—which is impractical.)

F. Rare tennis consensus: mixed events are the way to go. Two-week mixed events are too long. If this can be addressed in the process, great.

G. Where are the players? We seem to be proceeding on the assumption that, like Willie Sutton, they will go where the money is. But given not only the tremors but the vast range of outcomes, it’s remarkable to me that we are not hearing more … objections, support, lobbying, questions and concerns from, you know, the folks most immediately impacted.

H. When does the WTA announce its new CEO? We hear it’s are down to two candidates. But given that Steve Simon relinquished his CEO position in December (he shrewdly, remains chairman) it’s been a long succession period.

I. CVC has already won. Private equity (almost) always wins.

The men's final trophy at Roland Garros.

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Jon, I have noticed you and others referring to the French Open more and more as Roland Garros? Am I imagining this? If not, when did this become a thing?

• You are not imagining. I would say maybe five years ago word came down that the preferred nomenclature was Roland Garros. Not sure why. You imagine the hommes and femmes gathered in the marketing meeting. We can refer to this event as a national title, the way two other majors do. Or we can start using the name of the obscure World War I pilot—who had nothing to do with tennis and died more than 100 years ago.

We’ll take porte numero deux!

Part of me feels icky being co-opted into this marketing strategy. But, ultimately, I feel about this, the way I do people who get honorary degrees and thereafter insist on being called “doctor.” That is, “Your name, your choice. If that’s what you prefer to be called, why would I not try and oblige?”

Have you seen the film Challengers? If so, should I?

Mark P., UK

• I got an advanced screening in New York way back when. I’ll have a review and conversation with Zendaya later this week. There’s a lot to recommend here. I commend the risk-taking—by the director, by the screenwriter, by Zendaya in one of her first leading roles. With the exception of a few pedantic nitpicks, they nail the tennis. If not the ball striking, then the rhythm, body language and levels of the game. Laura Robson was quick to note they even nod to the Applebee’s scene in Cincinnati.

My one sweeping caveat: this is not a sugary protagonist-overcomes-obstacles-and-wins-in-the-third act sports film. Heed the “R” rating. The director, Luca Guadagnino, is the guy who made Call Me By Your Name . It’s possible this film has a higher volume of suggestive content. Know that going in. Leave the kids home. But this is real cinema. And well worth your 130 minutes. All the more so if you like tennis. But even that is not a prerequisite. 

What does “good people” have to do with anything?

Name withheld 

• This was in reference to Muguruza , and the suggestion her Hall of Fame credentials—already airtight—benefit from her disposition. “Good people” is:

A) Obviously, somewhat tongue-in-cheek. 

B) Subjective.

C) Unquantifiable. 

But a Hall of Fame takes inventory of a sporting career. And, along with wins, losses and titles, I would argue that good—not perfect, but good—citizenship is a necessary requirement. Tennis is hardly alone here, but it has had to confront players who qualified based on numbers but whose conduct made them unworthy. I would vote for Maria Sharapova, but I know others who find an athlete’s doping suspension to be disqualifying. 

In Muguruza’s case, she’s in with the track record. And her comportment—her professionalism, the way she went about the job—only adds sheen to her candidacy.

Is it just me or does almost nobody care about HoF outside of the US, players excluded...its just not something that gets a mention at all here in Aus anyway.

@kelamiata  

Kim Clijsters at the 2012 US Open.

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

• Respectfully, it’s you. Maybe a decade ago, I would have agreed with you. But no more. Short of big news events—Serena Williams retiring, a Novak Djokovic-gets-deported level controversy—no topic gets more attention from readers, everywhere. Last week I visited Simona Halep in Romania. She wondered to me how her doping suspension might impact her Hall of Fame candidacy. I know one player who won a major, played in the final of another, and part of the disappointment in losing stemmed from the fact that her Hall of Fame status would not be automatic.  

I asked Kim Clijsters about this when she was being inducted in 2017. Paraphrasing, when she met her husband she asked him to explain the sports Hall of Fame and why Americans are so obsessed. By the time she retired, she grasped it. She is now a HoF executive. It’s as good a metaphor as any.

• We talk sometimes about total disruptors. Is there a completely different approach to tennis that could, materially, change the way the sport is practiced and played? A Fosbury flop? A knuckleball? An Ohtani? Randy Walker offers this:

Brian Battistone, playing first round doubles at the ⁦ @VeroFutures ⁩, hitting volleyball style first serve followed by traditional style second serve… but left-handed! (Note Brian is playing with only a single-handled racket, for those who know) pic.twitter.com/3ANynRRs0x — Randy Walker (@TennisPublisher) April 23, 2024

• Luminaries from the world of tennis, celebrity tennis fans, philanthropists and supporters will celebrate the impactful work of the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP) at the HJTEP 52nd Annual Gala on May 13 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. Tickets for the gala are available at www.HJTEP.org or [email protected] .
• Tickets to each of the 16 individual sessions of the Cincinnati Open are available for purchase at cincinnatiopen.com . The 2024 tournament will begin on Aug. 11 and will conclude on Aug. 19 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Single session tickets include a seat at Center Court for all matches taking place during a session. 

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2017 WTA Moscow Premier

• Thread starter spystud
• Start date Oct 16, 2017

Talk Tennis Guru

• Oct 16, 2017

We're a little late, but here goes. 32-player field. Singles draw 5 matches already completed, Sasnovich over Babos & Cornet over hometown girl Makarova being the upsets. Tuesday's OoP Maria v. Rybarikova is third on Centre, followed by Pavs v. DasKa. Luxembourg also has a 32-player International this week, Angie is the top seed. Singles draw  

• Oct 17, 2017

Here's a damn good feed from Facebook of Babos/Hlavackova v. Cornet/Mladenovic if you need something to watch. First set breaker now. https://t.co/xxCCHWZ6tE  

First set bagel for hot Julia over the Russian qualifier no one's ever heard of.  

Hall of Fame

spystud said: Here's a damn good feed from Facebook of Babos/Hlavackova v. Cornet/Mladenovic if you need something to watch. First set breaker now. https://t.co/xxCCHWZ6tE Click to expand...

NaomiKonjuhPotapova

Sharapova's record in Moskow is astonishing.  

Dasha/lefty twin just now underway.  

NaomiKonjuhPotapova said: Sharapova's record in Moskow is astonishing. Click to expand...

Dasha takes the first @ 4.  

Bionic Poster

PDJ said: Luxembourg Puig takes the first Click to expand...

SeeingDusk said: What is it? Click to expand...

• Aussie Darcy

Mainad said: Is this the first time they've played each other since last year's Olympic final in Rio? Click to expand...

Aussie Darcy said: Nah, they played in the 3R of Dubai where Kerber won in straights. Click to expand...

NaomiKonjuhPotapova said: She never reach QF. Click to expand...

Her first tour appearance in Moscow in a decade drew a large and enthusiastic crowd despite taking place in the afternoon. Click to expand...

• Oct 18, 2017

Julia beats Yulia, 3 & 3. Coco/Tsurenko playing a decider.  

Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil

Heard that Sharapova lost to Rybarikova! 1st round lost too! Still, Maria off to a great tennis comeback.  

Top seed Mladenovic is out (unsurprisingly). Makes it 10 consecutive losses now.  

Harry_Wild said: Heard that Sharapova lost to Rybarikova! 1st round lost too! Still, Maria off to a great tennis comeback. Click to expand...

Gavrilova just retired down a set and break to Lapko.. knocks a number of us out in SDL.  

NothingButNet

Aussie Darcy said: Is she though? I like many others expected far more.. The only thing she's done was win Tianjin last week which was basically a glorified ITF draw, nothing to get excited about. Kvitova meanwhile returned and won a Premier title + made a slam QF whilst Sloane returned, made back to back Premier 5 SF's and then won a slam. The only other notable thing Sharapova did was make the USO 4R with a win over Halep. Hell, even Azarenka who was off tour to give birth for a year did the same by making a slam 4R and she only played 2 tournaments all year. Maria's comeback was frankly quite embarrassing. Everyone expected far, far more. How many quarterfinals did she end up making this year? 2? Tianjin and Stuttgart? People were discussing winning/making a slam final or winning a Premier+ tournament. Not this junk. Overall losses to Rybarikova, Lucic-Baroni, Sevastova, Mladenovic, Bouchard. The last two are now both on losing streaks whilst the other 3 are players she should easily be beating. Sorry but she's definitely not off to a good tennis comeback. Nowhere close to being seeded for the Australian Open. Click to expand...

Deleted member 293577

So far in round 2, seeds 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 have been knocked out. #5 was knocked out yesterday along with Sharapova. Vesnina, the #3 seed plays later on. That leaves Goerges as the lone seed along with Vesnina. My two-cents on Sharapova: she seems to be playing close to the level she was before. She is not quite there yet, but I could easily see her having those losses pre-ban. Next year will be the true litmus test for her career, and based on what I've seen, I think she will be competitive.  

Vesnina joins the party of an early holiday, out in straights to Natalia V.  

spystud said: Vesnina joins the party of an early holiday, out in straights to Natalia V. Click to expand...

Good ol' Premier final 8... Sasnovich A. - Kasatkina D. Begu I. - Lapko V. Goerges J. - Tsurenko L. Cornet A. - Vikhlyantseva N. Please cancel the entire Asian swing soon.  

ScentOfDefeat

• Oct 19, 2017

C'mon Julia, it's your chance. Don't blow it.  

spystud said: Good ol' Premier final 8... Sasnovich A. - Kasatkina D. Begu I. - Lapko V. Goerges J. - Tsurenko L. Cornet A. - Vikhlyantseva N. Please cancel the entire Asian swing soon. Click to expand...

3 & 4 for Julia over Tsurenko. Cornet/Natalia V. up next.  

Uh oh Natalia's leg  

Playing 3, 2:10 in already.  

a pretty brutal match  

Cornet with a sour note  

Bad call but at least the ref had the sense to give young Stalingrad the point, and game  

The siege of Stalingrad is lifted!  

Go Goerges!  

I Am Finnish

Lol mladenovic is ranked #10 despite she lost 10 matches in a row  

• Oct 20, 2017

I Am Finnish said: Lol mladenovic is ranked #10 despite she lost 10 matches in a row Click to expand...

Julia/Natalia V. playing 3. DasKa beat Begu in straights.  

Julia survives @ 5.  

Was hoping to see Vikhlyantseva v Kasatkina final -- curious to see how these two match up. Oh well, congrats to Goerges. Too bad Vikhlyantseva was injured.  

Looks like another title for Kasatkina unless Görges pulls something special out of her hat (which she doesn't usually do in finals).  

Puig v. Witthoeft in the Luxembourg final.  

• Oct 21, 2017

When Julia is playing like this you just wonder why she hasn't won more titles. She's almost unplayable. There are many players who are more consistent than her, but few who can match her peak level. It's just a shame her B game is so poor.  

Wow, 1 & 2 over DasKa. First title since Stuttgart in '11 when most of us probably thought she was ready to break out.  

Didn't see the match. Was this win & score because of Goerges' elevated level of play or Kasatkina's poor performance or both? That's a very impressive win.  

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