"What we need is a real change within a realistic timeframe"
The CEO of the PTPA comments on the players' perspective on various debate topics: the calendar, the premium tour, and doping.
Controversial topics have not been lacking in the tennis circuit lately, both on the men's and women's sides. Ahmad Nassar, CEO of the PTPA, the association created by players, has openly addressed the debates that have been shaping tennis in recent months: complaints about the calendar and the decision to play some exhibitions, about the changes and that "Premium" circuit that was so much talked about, and finally, about doping cases.
The calendar and exhibitions
"The calendar needs to make more sense. Right now it doesn’t and is exhausting for the players. It’s a nuisance for fans trying to figure out where their favorite player is playing every week. So we need to fix that calendar, fix issues like night matches and different balls on different surfaces. Fix problems based on compensation? Yes, but also around the sport," explains Ahmad Nassar in an interview with Ubitennis.
"The reason players participate in exhibitions has nothing to do with the calendar. It has everything to do with not being adequately compensated. Anyone who has played real tennis knows you don’t give it your all in an exhibition. You can still put on a tremendous show for paying fans who attend the exhibition and entertain the public."
Promises of change
"At this past Australian Open, the Grand Slams met with us, the players, and outlined the high-level vision of what they call the Premium Tour, it is actually a fundamental overhaul of high-level professional tennis, both men and women. At the 2025 Australian Open, it will be a full year since that moment. They want to protect their tournaments. They want to protect their jobs. They want to protect. Everything.
I don’t blame anyone. What we cannot allow is inaction. What we really need is a push to say, guys, we have to sort this out. What we need is real change in a real timeframe. Last year, the WTA accepted outside private equity money and said there would be equal prize money. By when? 2033. How many of these players will still be playing in ten years? My point is we can’t keep having this never-ending talk, always promising and nothing materializing."
About ITIA and doping
"I’m not interested in another set of letters investigating possible doping or integrity issues. I’m interested in a truly independent organization, properly funded, allowing players due process, all the things that should have already existed and not interested in blaming players but watching over the sport in a way that makes it fair for everyone. No one has more interest in fair play than the players. Any clean player wants to play and know and trust that the person across the net is also clean."
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Lo que necesitamos es un cambio real en un plazo real"