Australian Open chief Craig Tiley will maintain a cautious eye on Saudi Arabia’s elevated funding in tennis however is assured the game will not be divided like golf.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi not too long ago confirmed “positive” discussions had taken place with potential buyers, together with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.
The Next Gen event, that includes the highest eight males’s gamers aged 21 and below, is because of transfer from Milan to Saudi Arabia for the subsequent 5 years below a brand new deal.
World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz instructed reporters after his win on the Queen’s Club on Sunday he had “no doubts” he could be enjoying in tournaments in Saudi Arabia sooner or later.
Australian Nick Kyrgios, who has barely been sighted on tour since injuring his knee in a profitable Saudi exhibition occasion final December, has welcomed the curiosity.
“Finally,” Kyrgios wrote on Twitter.
“They see the worth.
“We are going to receives a commission what we need to receives a commission. Sign me up.”
Tiley is confident the fact the Saudis are negotiating directly with the ATP reduces the likelihood of a polarising breakaway group like LIV Golf.
“What’s completely different to what we’re seeing (in different sports activities) is that is an funding within the present construction of the sport and never an funding in an alternate possibility,” Tiley instructed reporters on Tuesday.
“But like every thing on the planet, there’s a number of adjustments at all times occurring.
“So you’ve got to watch what’s going on and stay close to it.
“But, in the end, that is a choice for the boys’s and the ladies’s tour.”
Complicating matters is that tennis has seven different governing bodies: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the US Open, the ITF, ATP and WTA.
“We work carefully collectively, always work carefully collectively in the very best curiosity of the game,” Tiley mentioned.
“I believe they will do quite a bit higher – these seven governing our bodies – about doing much more work collectively however we’re on that monitor of a minimum of having these conversations the place just a few years in the past that was not going down.
“So you’ve always got to look out for disruptions.
“The sport of tennis is in a wholesome place proper now as a result of there may be that dialog, most likely in contrast to in different sports activities the place there was not that dialog – and the 4 slams are very influential within the determination making
“And as majors, I think that’s an important position to keep hold of.”
Tiley is assured the slams, which sit independently, are well-placed to take care of their sturdy place amid funding elsewhere.
“We are working closely together on a number of different fronts and the contribution we make to the tour is significant,” he mentioned.
“In fact, if you bring the value of the four grand slams together, it represents over 60 per cent of the entire tour, which is different to golf and different to other sports.”
Tiley would not be drawn on the ethical issues over internet hosting tournaments in Saudi Arabia – stressing that was a choice for the ATP and WTA.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
