Support Fund for Poorly Ranked Players Endlessly Debated

The tennis world is mobilizing to support the lowest ranked players, deprived of income due to the coronavirus epidemic, while professional tennis is still stalled for long weeks. The authorities, ATP (male circuit), WTA (female circuit), ITF (International Federation) and the four Grand Slams, had announced on April 21 that they had collected 6 million dollars (5.53 M EUR) intended to feed the fund of solidarity for players in financial difficulty by stopping competitions. The three best players in the world (Djokovic, Nadal and Federer) have also launched a line of thought to create a support fund to help players ranked from 250th to 700th place. Private initiatives, like that of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Patrick Mouratoglou "Beyond 100" have also emerged. But some tennis players have reminded in recent weeks that tennis is an individual sport where it is not always played collectively…

"I have seen players from the ITF circuit (secondary circuit) who do not 100% engage in this sport (...) I do not see why I should give them money."

The world number 3 Dominic Thiem had lit the fuse during an interview with the Austrian daily newspaper Kronen Zeitung Sport : “I saw players of the ITF circuit (secondary circuit) who do not engage 100% in this sport. Many of them are not very professional. I don't see why I should give them money. None of the lowest ranked players have to fight for their lives. I prefer to donate to people and institutions that really need it. ” The Austrian's words caused a stir. On Instagram , the hot Nick Kyrgios said: “He (Thiem) still doesn't understand. We at the top are overpaid and there is not enough for everyone. ” The young Algerian tennis player Inès Ibbou had not hesitated to criticize the decision of Thiem by evoking her own history and the difficulties which they meet to evolve in his country. "Dear Dominic, you know, in a country like mine, it is not easy for a top athlete woman," she wrote in a video in the form of an open letter to the Austrian on social networks .

" I prefer to help people in my city who are dying and who have no food, it is more urgent."

But Thiem is not alone. Far from there. In an interview with the ANSA agency , the Italian Matteo Berrettini, current 8th world player, did not say anything else: "We wrote to Nole (Djokovic), it is not compulsory: I prefer to help more complex situations, like a hospital, a needy family rather than a tennis player. ” Same story with Argentinian Guido Pella, 35th in the world: " I prefer to help people in my town who are dying and who have no food, it is more urgent than sport," he said during the meeting. of a podcast. I like the idea of ​​helping but not that of being forced to give a sum to help a group of players whose needs I don't really know. ” An influential member of the ATP players' council, the Canadian Vasek Pospisil recently stated that only 12 Top 20 players agreed with the aid plan presented by Djokovic and the authorities…

Read also - Tennis: 800 players in precarious situations will be able to share $ 6 million

The support fund, initially imagined up to the 700th place in the world, should moreover only concern the top 500. The WTA players' council thus rejected "unanimously" the proposal to financially support those classified around the 600th or 700th place worldwide. This is what Serbian Aleksandra Krunic said at Ukranian tennis on Monday  : "If you are stuck in 500th place for several years, you should expect to be in the red, you are aware of this. We've all been there. It is the players' responsibility to understand what financial situation they will find themselves in. "

And among those without ranks, some understand the position of the elite. Belgian player Arthur de Greef. At 28, 324th in the world, interviewed by RTBF said: "I fit the criteria given my ranking (324th in the world). If we must salute the gesture, I find it hard to understand why players should contribute to this fund. I don't understand why players who have played better than me should pay for their success. Among the beneficiaries, there are players who have simply worked less than them, less sacrificed their lives in tennis. The problem is deeper. ” And the debate is far from over…

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• Thiem "the personal game" and does not want to participate in the solidarity fund