Hectic schedules and limited recovery time between tournaments have taken a toll on several tennis players. Unable to take it anymore, many have spoken out against the ATP, criticizing its scheduling and payment practices in the recent past. The latest to join the bandwagon is Ugo Humbert.
Humbert recently slammed ATP for holding two-week-long Masters 1000 events. He stated that the events were exhausting for players and did not pay them enough. Moreover, these tournaments increase players’ costs due to accommodation and other necessities.
“They tell us that we earn more but it’s not true, we have double the costs (due to double staying on site, ed.). There are a lot of other guys who get injured too.”
The French player further accused the ATP of organizing tournaments primarily for their own benefit and to earn more money.
“Even watching on TV I don’t think it’s even worth it, you can’t understand who plays when etc. It’s all about money (for the ATP), but it’s not just that,” Humbert said.
PTPA: A new alternative?
This isn’t the first time a player has condemned the ATP for similar reasons. Earlier, Stefanos Tsitsipas put out a tweet criticizing the ATP’s management and their treatment of players. However, he took the post down a day later, raising speculations if he was forced to do so.
“Tennis has always been a sport with deep roots, but those of us who play it know the demands of the year-round schedule. Endless flights across continents, the constant pressure to perform; it’s pushing even the best players to their limits.”
In his tweet, Tsitsipas also lauded Novak Djokovic for being the flagbearer of trying to bring a change in the tennis world. This can be interpreted as him indirectly referring to the Professional Tennis Players Association, created by Djokovic.
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that PTPA has given the players the confidence to stand up for themselves and raise their voices against the powerholders. Given the courage Humbert showed by putting out the tweet, it will be interesting to see if he will extend his support to the Djokovic-led association any time in the future.
Either way, the frequent criticism from players has only boosted the popularity of PTPA. Only time will tell if this can push the ATP to change how they conduct the tennis season.
