Minimum wage will be offered to men’s tennis players to help lower-ranked athletes deal with financial pressures of the sport with sums to be set on projected earnings for a season
- Men’s tennis is preparing to offer players a minimum wage salary
- The move will help alleviate financial pressures on lower-ranked players
- Tuesday will see the opening matches of the expanded Madrid Open start
Men’s tennis players are set to be offered a minimum wage to try and alleviate some of the financial pressure on the lower-ranked.
Plans are afoot to guarantee a certain amount of money to those ranked around 300 and above based on their projected earnings for a season, meaning they can expect a baseline amount of money to cover their costs.
Golf’s PGA in America have brought in a similar plan worth $500,000 in the face of the threat from the LIV Tour, but the sums – which have yet to be finalised – are likely to be much smaller for their tennis counterparts who ply their trade on the Challenger level of the circuit.
Tuesday sees the start of an expanded earning opportunity for players of both sexes with the opening matches of the Madrid Open, which has expanded into a 13-day event which has 96 players in each of the singles draws.
Some of the British contingent have potentially eye-catching draws, with Emma Raducanu facing a qualifier in the first round. If she could win that would be the first opponent for world number one Iga Swiatek, who has a bye.
Men’s tennis players will be offered a minimum wage salary to help alleviate financial pressures
Andy Murray will get his Madrid Open underway in a first round qualifier
GB number two Jodie Burrage, who could possibly overtake her in the rankings this week, won her opening qualifying round on Monday with a 6-3 6-1 win over Spain’s Rosa Vicens Mas.
She faces former French Open finalist Sara Errani for a place in the main draw.
Andy Murray faces a qualifier in the first round and could meet second seed Daniil Medvedev in round two.
An interesting opener sees Kyle Edmund, on the long road back from knee struggles, up against ex US Open champion Dominic Thiem, who has also suffered long term physical problems.