"Too much power, too much money" - Stan Wawrinka deals against Grand Slams
Stan Wawrinka was critical of the Grand Slam tournaments in an interview with the French L'Équipe .
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Nov 22, 2023, 10:18 am
The three-time major winner (Australian Open 2014, French Open 2015, US Open 2016) particularly criticized the fact that the four biggest tournaments did not pay out enough money. "They don't distribute enough - in proportion to what they take in," said the Swiss. "And they have far too much power because they make so much money."
The revenue received from the majors is extremely important - but "the percentage that goes to the players is ridiculous. It has barely increased."
“Stan the Man” also doesn’t want to accept the argument that the prize money for losers in the early rounds has risen significantly in recent years. "We're talking about prize money, but not about the percentage payouts. Because the income (from the tournaments) has increased significantly at the same time."
The Grand Slams would only represent their own interests, those of their country and their associations. But nothing can be done unless the players intervene at some point. And there is hardly any agreement between the majors either.
#VIDEO#
Wawrinka criticizes the extension of the Australian Open
In the end, decisions would not be discussed with the players. The most recent example: the Australian Open, which will now start on Sunday and therefore last 15 days - like the French Open has for years. "Tennis Australia simply said: We'll start on the first Sunday. Just like that - and bye. Did anyone ask us what we thought about it? No. And that's how it works."
So while the Australian association collects one more day in ticket sales, TV rights, etc., the players would have nothing.
Is this where Novak Djokovic’s PTPA comes into play? He hasn't seen any progress here so far, says Wawrinka, who believes a players' union is unnecessary. It is more necessary for the players to be involved in the decisions.