In April 2024, the four major Grand Slam tennis tournaments unveiled a bold plan to reshape the tennis world. The proposal, dubbed the “Premium Tour,” aimed to merge the Grand Slam events (Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open) with ten other top-tier tournaments from the ATP and WTA tours.
This plan also included ambitious financial changes, such as doubling the prize money for the top 300 male players and quadrupling the prize pool for the top 300 female players. However, the proposal failed to gain enough support.
In response, the ATP and WTA have introduced their own plan to unify all major tennis structures under one leadership. This new proposal seeks to bring together the Grand Slam tournaments and other high-level events, while considering the needs of both players and tournament organizers.
Under the new structure, the tournament lineup would include:
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- 4 Grand Slam events
- 10 ATP Masters 1000 and 10 WTA 1000 tournaments, with a new ATP event in February, likely in Saudi Arabia
- 16 ATP 500 and 17 WTA 500 tournaments, which would be held simultaneously
- A reduction in the number of third-tier ATP 250 and WTA 250 tournaments
Additionally, a new governing board would be formed, comprising representatives from the Grand Slam tournaments, ATP, WTA, and players. However, not everyone in the tennis community is fully on board with these proposed changes.
The proposal also envisions the creation of a company, Tennis Ventures, to streamline the commercial interests of the ATP, WTA, and Grand Slam tournaments. This would allow for the consolidation of media rights and sponsorship deals, leading to increased revenue and a more equitable distribution of profits between tournaments and players.
