More money for everyone? Not so fast …
Globally, very few athletes can live well as tennis pros. But that would be difficult to change.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Mar 10, 2023, 07:46 am
Novak Djokovic recently calculated in Dubai that 1.3 billion fans would follow tennis worldwide, but only 400 men and women could actually make a living as tennis professionals. Quite apart from whether the number of supporters is resilient: From the tennis players' point of view, that is regrettable. But it is also: market economy.
Daniel Michalski and Fabian Marozsan met in Antalya for the quarter-finals at the local Challenger this Friday. Michalski is number 278 in the world, Maroszan is slightly better in the race at number 163. Nevertheless, from a global perspective, both are among the exceptional performers of a discipline that sees itself as a world sport. Nevertheless, one can assume that local interest is limited to the carers and the closest family members. ATP will not have rented any additional server capacity either, so that the live stream from Antalya does not collapse.
Tennis needs the stars and the Grand Slams
A little later on Friday, 1. FC Nuremberg and Eintracht Braunschweig will meet in the second German Bundesliga. Hopefully nobody is being offended by saying: None of the kickers who will be romping around on the pitch in Nuremberg can even come close to the ranking of Daniel Michalski and Fabian Maroszan from a global perspective. But: All players, whether as a starter or from the substitutes' bench, have a more stable and, with very few exceptions, significantly higher income than the two tennis professionals.
Because there will be more than 20,000 people on site. Because there is a TV station that paid good money for the broadcasting rights. Of course, there are also such occasions in tennis - but mostly these contain one of two factors: either one of the big stars of the scene is to be seen. Or one of the four big titles in the tennis year will be played. Then the grandstands are full, then there are also bidding competitions for the TV rights, which in a roundabout way put money in the pockets of the professionals. Whether these sums could be distributed differently between tournaments and players can and should be discussed.
Djokovic could propose solutions
But it doesn't change the fact that only the best are really good. Just like in most individual sports. Because what would be the alternative? Starting a competing tour, as is happening in golf right now (and not good for the discipline)? Or to massively increase the prize money at Challenger tournaments (the ATP has already taken a first step in this direction)? That would not significantly improve the number of athletes who can live from touring. In addition, the willingness to share an existing cake with more people is not only manageable in tennis.
At the end of the day, sport is just a part of the entertainment industry. You pay for what you like. What should gymnasts or swimmers think who show at least as much effort in training as number 89 in the WTA world rankings? And nowhere near their income? Here the argument applies that there is simply not enough interest from fans, TV stations or sponsors.
The fact that Novak Djokovic addressed the problem is of course good and right. We can look forward to any proposed solutions. Because the world number one has so far owed this.