Today, Thursday, the Professional Tennis Players Association announced a broad reform package that includes a significant increase in prize money and restructuring the classification system and tournament schedule starting in 2028, in a move aimed at raising the total compensation for players to $350 million, in parallel with alleviating the great pressures resulting from the congestion of the season.
For years, the men's and women's tours have faced mounting criticism due to the length of the season, which extends for about 11 months, while players demand a larger share of the game's revenues, in addition to improving support and care programs, in light of the rising costs of competition and the increasing physical burdens.
Under the proposals put forward by federation president Andrea Gaudenzi, bonus allocations on the men's tour will rise from $21.5 million to $50 million, with an additional $25 million allocated to the top 250 players in the final rankings of the season, as well as $30 million annually for retirement programs that include 300 players.
Gaudenzi said in an open letter published on Thursday: “Tennis today enjoys a strong position. Our tournaments continue to grow, fans are engaging with the game more than ever, and player profits are at record levels. To maintain this position, the sport must continue to develop.”
He added: “It is our responsibility to enhance competitiveness, achieve better alignment of incentives, expand the scope of support to include a larger number of players, and help them cover the costs of participating in the tour.”
Subject to completing consultations and obtaining the necessary approvals, the Professional Federation expects the value of compensation provided to players to exceed $100 million annually starting in 2028, while the financial prizes and revenue-sharing mechanisms will raise the total compensation for players to about $350 million, without counting the prizes for the four major tournaments.
The federation also intends to give the results of its major tournaments more weight in the classification system, reducing the need for players to chase points in other tournaments to compensate for poor results, in addition to allocating specific weeks to the different tournament categories with the aim of establishing a clearer and more consistent schedule.
The inclusion of a new thousand-point Masters tournament in Saudi Arabia will be part of this structure, with the federation confirming that the new system will not limit the freedom of players in competing in the tournaments they wish to participate in through the various stations of the tour.
These proposals came at a time when players have become more frank about the physical impact of a busy schedule, stressing that the intensity of competitions limits recovery opportunities and raises the risks of fatigue and injury.
The ranking system also continues to raise controversy, as some players believe that the constant pursuit of points pushes them to participate in non-mandatory tournaments, which makes it difficult to get real rest periods during the season.
The federation said that it will also review the long-term structure of the competition formats, including possible amendments to the doubles competitions, with any savings in financial prizes being redirected to supporting the singles qualifiers and first-round bonuses.
Signs of a possible reduction in the number of teams participating in doubles competitions sparked widespread controversy earlier this year, as players objected to the move for fear of its impact on competition opportunities and income. However, the Professional Federation confirmed that any possible amendments come within a broader review aimed at building a more sustainable and feasible model for doubles competitions in the long term.
Gaudenzi, who was re-elected in February for a third term extending until 2028, said that these changes will give players greater ability to plan their seasons, reward performance in the largest tournaments, and expand the circle of beneficiaries of support programs.
He added that the federation will continue to develop proposals in cooperation with the advisory councils for players and leagues and the board of directors, in preparation for presenting the final package during the end-of-year meetings in Turin.
He said about the federation’s long-term strategic plan: “The One Vision initiative has contributed to enhancing the strength of the tour and the status of tennis, and the next stage represents an opportunity to make the season more harmonious and clear for players and fans, and to ensure that the growth of the game is reflected in the form of broader opportunities across various levels of competition.”
He concluded by saying: “Our current focus is on the ATP Tour, but our ambition goes beyond that to ensure that tennis is competitive in attracting the next generation of fans.”
Arab clubs are seeking to put a foot forward in the group stage of the African Confederation of Football Championship, when the first leg of the second preliminary round of the continental competition begins, where they engage in confrontations of varying strength.
10 Arab clubs are participating in the current edition of the tournament, including a number of elite teams in the African continent, led by Al-Ahly of Egypt, the historic champion of the African Champions League with 12 titles, which returns to play in the Confederation of Nations after an absence of several years, as well as the Royal Moroccan Army, runner-up in the last edition of the Champions League, and its compatriot Raja Casablanca, who won the same competition three times.
Also competing for the competition title in that edition are Algeria's USM Algiers, who won the last edition of the tournament, Tunisia's CS Sfaxien, who won the competition's cup more than once, Algeria's CS Belouizdad and Libya's Al Ahly Tripoli, who are looking to pull off a surprise and win the tournament for the first time.
Al-Ahly, which won the title in 2014, opens its campaign in the competition against its host, Kitara, Uganda, where the red team goes into the match in high spirits, following its valuable and well-deserved 2-0 victory over its traditional rival, Zamalek, in its last match in the Egyptian Premier League, last Sunday.
On the other hand, the Royal Army is engaged in a confrontation that is not easy with its host, Korhogo of Ivory Coast, as the Moroccan team wants to achieve a major victory through which it will prove that it is coming strongly to compete for the title.
The same applies to Raja Casablanca, which plays host to the Nigerian Warriors, as well as USM Algiers, which faces the Panthers, the representative of Equatorial Guinea.
Sfaxien hopes to heal its local wounds, after its sudden 0-1 loss to Al Taqadr Sportive in Sakia Al Daer in its last match in the Tunisian League, last Saturday, when it goes out to meet its host, Ivorian Avad Djekano.
Sfaxien officially announced its contract with Mohamed El Kouki to supervise the technical reins of the team until the end of the current season, succeeding former coach Nabil El Kouki, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent.
As for Esperance Zarzis, the second representative of Tunisian football in the tournament this season, it hosts Real Bamako of Mali in a confrontation that is not easy for the team that is suffering from a shaky start in the Tunisian league, as it is in tenth place in the local competition standings with 6 points from 5 matches.
For its part, Egyptian ZFC, which is participating for the first time in continental competitions, faces its guest, Azzam United of Tanzania, in a match that is not easy for the young national coach, Mohamed Shawky, who dreams of being in the group stage of the tournament.
On the other hand, Al-Ahly Tripoli of Libya, which has supported its ranks with many important deals in the recent period, wants to move forward with the tournament, when it faces Welwalo Adigrat of Ethiopia.
This round witnesses a purely Arab confrontation between the Belouizdad club and the Mauritanian customs, where the Algerian team seems to be more likely to prevail, in light of the experiences its players enjoy in African championships.
Many other important meetings will be held in this round of the tournament, as South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs will play against the Zambian Red Arrows, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Maniema Union will play against Angola's Kabuscorp, and Tanzania's Singida Black Stars will play against Kenya's Tusker.
Asko Kara of Togo will meet Diarra of Mali, AS Port Louis of Mauritius will meet Durban City of South Africa, Black Bulls of Mozambique will meet Rayon Sport of Rwanda, and 1st August of Angola will meet Virunga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé, the French football player for Paris Saint-Germain, joked about the possibility of requesting more leave from his Spanish coach, Luis Enrique, after he excelled in his team’s victory over Manchester City (4-2) yesterday, Wednesday, in the European Champions League.
Dembele, winner of the Ballon d'Or, scored one goal and assisted another during the match, confirming his readiness, after Luis Enrique decided to rest him after the international break, as he missed the match against Le Mans last Saturday.
Dembele told Canal Plus: “After the international break, I went on vacation. In fact, I might ask for more vacation. I really enjoy playing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, especially when I come back from vacation. "It's really fun."
When asked if he would take another vacation, he replied with a smile: “This is possible, until March, I think.” The decision is up to the coach.”
Paris Saint-Germain is preparing to face Strasbourg on Saturday in the French League, before hosting Spanish Barcelona, where youngster Lamine Yamal is starring in its ranks, next Tuesday, in another anticipated match in the Champions League.
Luis Enrique may once again resort to resting some of his players, after he excluded Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes from facing Le Mans, while he previously left Dembele out of the squad in a match against Lille in the French League earlier this season.
Dembélé was crowned the best player in the French League last season, despite his starting participation in only nine matches during Paris Saint-Germain's journey towards the title, which sparked criticism from some observers who saw that other players had greater participation opportunities.
