Johanna Konta: "All tennis players suffered a 100% drop in salary"
In an interview with the Evening Standard , Johanna Konta explains how she accepted the tournament cancellations and what these measures mean for the players below.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Apr 04, 2020, 10:18 am
"I will continue to isolate myself, stay as fit as possible, spend time with my dog and friend and stay in touch with my family on FaceTime," says Johanna Konta, describing how she is currently spending her time. These are words that probably sum up the current daily routine of almost every tennis professional in the world. "Stay at home - stay fit" - tennis grands can not do much more at the moment.
As is well known, the flood of tournament cancellations began with the - but somewhat surprising - cancellation of the ATP and WTA events in Indian Wells. For Johanna Konta, this was the point at which she realized that the corona virus would also have far-reaching consequences for tennis: "The shock of the initial cancellation by Indian Wells was the most difficult to digest personally. I suddenly saw myself with a new reality faced, " explained the world ranking-14. the Evening Standard. A little later followed the cancellation of Miami - and the entire European clay court season.
"Gloomy and Catastrophic Situation"
"The speed at which this was done was definitely a shock to the system. Having such dramatic changes in our daily lives was a shock to everyone," said Konta. Cancellations of the tournaments and exit restrictions in large parts of Europe had been decided within a few days. Although Johanna Konta is by no means a player who could ruin the interrupted WTA tour, the British knows of course what it means for the players further down: "The reality is that there is no tennis player who is making money at the moment ; all tennis players have had to accept a 100% drop in salary. It is a very dark and catastrophic situation - especially for the less well-ranked players, "explains Konta.
"Everyone is trying to find the best possible way to stand by their team and support the people you work with and feel close to without being ruined," continues Konta. Players ranked further back also often have a touring coach and fitness trainer who are on their payroll. However, a system is currently being developed to support those athletes. "But the reality is that even if it is possible - and we hope that it is possible - it will be very minimal," says Konta.