Tailey and the Grand Slam prize money: "We need to give players a fair share"
The director of USTA and Eric Butorac, director of the US Open, held a press conference where they also explained the reasons for the initial rejection of granting an invitation to Wawrinka.
The US Open has kicked off, but before the start of the last Grand Slam of the season, the two key figures in the tournament's organization held a press conference to explain the news for this edition. Craig Tiley, who transitioned from president of Tennis Australia to president of the USTA, and Eric Butorac.
As expected, the press conference focused on the increase in prize money, which for the first time surpasses the 100 million dollar mark. It also covered the reasons why the tournament did not grant an initial invitation to Stan Wawrinka, who finally did receive one after Patrick Gibson's withdrawal.
Tiley spoke about historic prize money
“I believe the USTA made a 20% increase in player compensation last year, and this year we've made another decision to provide a quite significant increment, in addition to including an additional contribution of 2 million dollars. Players will need to decide how they want to use that money, whether it's for initiatives related to player welfare or any other projects they want to develop.”
“I think those who know me well, and those who know Eric, understand that we are focused on the players. I have always believed in giving players a fair share and that they should receive good compensation. In my previous role, I did exactly the same. We boosted the compensation package for players at the Australian Open. The same is happening here and will continue to happen at the USTA.”
Tiley explained the creation of the players' council
“We believe that the voice of the players is important. Many of us have dedicated a lot of time and energy individually to speaking with the players. Not just during the last week, but for years. Having the Grand Slams build a close relationship with the players is fundamental to the success of the tournaments and to our relationship with the fans.”
“The Grand Slams proposed the creation of a players' council, and all four tournaments aligned with that idea. But initially, we want to do the same as we have done until now: gather players' opinions on how they want it structured. We have a recommendation, but we prefer to share it directly with that group of players.”
10 players have already announced their interest in the council
“Before this event, we sent an email inviting any interested player to join the council. We informed them about the upcoming announcement and asked them to let us know if they were interested. We have already received responses from about 10 players. There are likely to be more, as some have said to us, 'By the way, I am also interested.’”
“We will include all those players in a conversation to decide the best way to develop representation, structure, process, number of meetings, and all those aspects. The idea is to use that first group, perhaps calling it a transitional council, as a way to design the future path. That has been our position with the players and we are really responding to one of their requests: to have a direct voice as a group to the Grand Slams. We believe it's a positive step and a completely fair request.”
USTA CEO Craig Tiley said he expects tennis’ final Grand Slam tournament of the year to further swell as an entertainment mecca for children and adults alike.
“This will become tennis Disneyland,” he said Saturday during the tournament-opening press conference.
Full story:… pic.twitter.com/sMfQORToew— Sportico (@Sportico) August 29, 2026
The US Open director revealed the reasons for not granting an initial invitation to Wawrinka
“There are young American players who just missed out on the draw. We exchange invitations with the Australian Open, the French Federation, and there are other opportunities throughout the year for American players to compete for a wildcard. When you are a young American player on the rise and just outside the draw, you need to receive an opportunity, and that is what happened.”
“One of the players who was granted an invitation needed to be at 100% physically to compete. We give a lot of credit to Patrick Gibson, because it is not common for a player to do what he did: when he realized midway through the week that he would not be fully prepared, he did the right thing, spoke with us, and said, 'I am going to withdraw from the main draw if I am not at 100%.' It is a great lesson for all players.”
“That opened the opportunity for Stan. Stan has always known that scenario. We have a close relationship with him and it’s fantastic that he is here competing. Yesterday we saw him and his coach, and they will be ready to play. This way, he can finish his career having played all four Grand Slams in his last year as a professional, which is fantastic.”
Tiley defended the invitation to Venus Williams
“From our perspective, Venus deserved an invitation. For her contribution to the sport and what she brings to the tournament, I honestly did not hesitate for a second. I believe she is a magnificent champion, an icon of American tennis, and we see the fans’ reactions: they want to see Venus play.”
Tiley sees the US Open as the future “Disneyland of tennis”
“Look, these events, the Grand Slams, and especially some of them, have become three-week tournaments. This first week, this inaugural week, this Fan Week, is a great opportunity. Precisely because of the question that was asked earlier, we have seen the impact it can have on fans, on children, and on general interest in the sport.”
“Yes, there is more growth ahead. Growing does not necessarily mean increasing the length of the event, but creating more opportunities within the tournament itself to do different things. This is going to become the Disneyland of tennis. We are going to have many opportunities for players, children, and adults to come in and experience different things. That is where we will see the most growth.”
“We will continue to ensure we keep this under control and provide enough entertainment and opportunities for fans to enjoy. At the same time, we will manage the number of people entering the venue. We do not want to be one of those events that simply fills the space for the sake of it,” asserted Craig Tiley, who has been in charge of the USTA for just weeks, and his influence is already becoming noticeable.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tiley y los prize money de los Grand Slam: "Tenemos que darle una parte justa a los jugadores"