It’s 2015 Wimbledon, second round of Men’s singles. A moment few could have predicted: a new face by the name of Dustin Brown had just done the impossible, taking down the world renowned Rafael Nadal. From the very first serve, Brown displayed aggressiveness and resilience, allowing him to control the rhythm of the match and pull off one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history. After this electrifying victory, many believed Brown would become the next breakout star. However, despite his undeniable talent, Brown was soon out of the professional tennis picture due to financial struggles. The economic structure of professional tennis made it near impossible for Brown to sustain a long and healthy career.
When you think of a top level professional athlete, financially unstable is probably the last thing that comes to mind. Unfortunately, this is a reality for many tennis players who linger near the top 200 to 300 players in the world. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) do not provide base salaries for any of their players. These athletes rely purely on tournament prize money and advertisements to generate income. This means a tennis player’s salary is solely based on their performance throughout the year, making tennis one of the most difficult sports to maintain an enduring career.
Professional tennis is unique in that it isn’t based around seasonal play, but rather played through a series of tournaments. Through these tournaments, players will receive a ranking. The ATP and WTA ranking systems are based on a points system. The tournaments worth the most points are the Grand Slams consisting of Wimbledon, The US Open, The Australian Open and The French Open. Players strive to improve their ranking
because it may qualify them for bigger tournaments and open up opportunities for endorsement deals.
A sports league’s success relies on a variation of groups, though the players are undeniably the most important contributors. Talented iconic players build excitement and bring in revenue for leagues. So logically, a majority of league profits should go to the players. Other major sports leagues like the MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL offer about 50% of their revenue to players, however the ATP and WTA only pay their players about 20% of their total revenue. Without them, there would be no product to show on the court, yet the ATP and WTA’s compensation structure doesn’t reflect the players’ true value.
Unlike team sports where the organizations cover travel, food and housing costs, tennis players are fully responsible for their personal expenses. Other essentials like trainers, coaches and personal managers are expenses that tennis players have to cover themselves. Instead of focusing solely on improving on the court, players are burdened with the logistical aspect of their training as well. On paper, players ranked in the top 10 earn an average of $10 million a year, yet a significant portion of their earnings are depleted by the unavoidable costs that come with being a professional tennis player. For lower ranked players, these additional expenses can cause a net loss, making it difficult to sustain a stable career. A minimum salary would allow players to at the very least cover their expenses and make a profit from their tournament winnings.
It’s important to consider that big name players can make large sums of money off of name, image and likeness. Participating in commercials, social media promotions and brand partnerships are all very lucrative. However, the reality is that these deals are almost exclusive to established players who have already achieved financial stability. Lesser known athletes, especially those outside of the top rankings, struggle to get big money partnerships and have to rely on tournament winnings as their main source of income. Without a base salary, the financial divide in tennis will continue to widen, leaving lower-ranked players struggling to cover basic expenses while top stars accumulate wealth, creating an inequitable system.
One of the main arguments against tennis player salaries is that earnings should reflect performance. While this is true to an extent, the current 200th ranked ATP player in the world, Colton Smith, made approximately 80 thousand dollars in 2024. For context, the 200th ranked player in the NFL or NBA is earning over 10 million dollars a year.
The flaws of the “play to get paid” system were especially evident during the Covid-19 pandemic. While all professional sports players faced financial challenges, tennis players were hit especially hard. With the cancellations or delays of major tournaments, they lost their main source of income. In contrast, athletes in other major sports leagues like the NFL and NBA continued to earn income through their revenue sharing agreements.
Another issue of a lack of salary is that players are unable to take necessary breaks. Just like any other sports, injuries are inevitable and can be detrimental to a player’s career. However in team sports like football and basketball, players continue to get paid while facing injuries. For example, after suffering a season ending achilles tendon tear, NBA All-star Kevin Durant was still paid the full 37 million dollars in his contract with the Nets despite missing a large portion of the 2019-2020 season.
Contrastly, when a tennis player suffers a major injury they have to focus on their financial stability alongside recovery. Since they are unable to earn money while injured, players are often forced to retire early in order to stay afloat financially. Recently, 30-year-old Lucas Pouille suffered an achilles tendon injury, most likely ending his promising career. “There’s a chance that was the last match of my career, I think it is a total rupture of the achilles tendon,” Pouille told ESPN. “Playing tennis at the highest level is complicated after that.”
There are injury protections set in place by the ATP, though these mostly protect a player’s rank rather than income. Furthermore, organizations like the NFL and NBA cover recovery expenses for athletes, but tennis players are forced to pay for recovery themselves, throwing them in an even deeper financial hole.
Another factor to take into consideration is non-injury breaks, such as maternity and paternity breaks, that could put a tennis player’s career in jeopardy. For example, after establishing herself as a four-time grand slam champion, Niomi Osaka announced her pregnancy in 2023 which forced her to take a break from tennis. This break caused her ranking to significantly drop and suspended many opportunities to earn income. Conversely, star soccer player Alex Morgan took two extended maternity breaks in the past five years yet continued earning through her team contracts and seamlessly returned to high level play in due time. The problem is that there is currently no financial safenet for tennis players. Stepping away for a short period of time can break a career, and this insecurity is extremely stressful for tennis players.
To remedy these issues, the ATP needs to create a more unified system. Currently, every major tennis tournament in the ATP tour is run by an individual organization. This makes it difficult for them to collaborate with each other and stay consistent with their policies. A more centralised system would allow for more injury safeguards, fairer revenue distribution, standardized benefits and consistent tournament rules and regulations. Through these reforms, the ATP could lead the way to creating a stable income for all the individuals who consistently participate in tournaments.
If the financial structure of professional tennis isn’t refined, tennis players will be unable to come back from any bumps in their careers. Comeback stories are arguably the most compelling part of sports; they showcase the resilience of athletes who fight to overcome all odds. Tennis players like Dustin Brown, who lacked financial backing, were unable to get a second chance despite undeniable skill. The ATP and WTA need to recognise that investing in their players is an investment in the sport itself. If these organizations want professional tennis to create compelling stories and cultivate fresh talent, they must build a financial system that supports all their athletes.
