By Erik Gudris | Friday, May 2, 2014

 

New ATP President Chris Kermode says he will focus on increasing prize money and bringing more changes to the Challenger circuit.

Photo Credit: ATP

The biggest tournaments, including Wimbledon, continue to announce record prize money increases. But the ATP's new president wants more focus on those trying to make a living on the Challenger circuit.

Wimbledon: Prize Money Increase Announced for 2014

The ATP's new Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode said he would continue working on not only increasing prize money but improving all aspects of Challenger events where many of the tour's lower ranked players try to survive as they compete to reach the bigger events, including the majors.

“The cost for players now of playing professionally, with coaches and physios and nutritionists, is significant,” Kermode said in a new interview with Bloomberg News. "To maintain the standard, we need to be paying across the board. Do we want to increase prize money at Challenger level? Yes, and we are doing.”

Several Challenger events already this season have increased their total prize money. Kermode is also overseeing a working group that will meet several times this year to review potential changes to the circuit. Kermode hopes to present a three-year Challenger calendar in time for the US Open in August.

Many lower ranked players have expressed their hopes and frustrations on trying to earn a living on the pro tour.

Ireland's James McGee, competing this week at the Tallahassee Challenger, received worldwide attention for a lengthy post written on his site last year about the realities and costs of being a lower ranked player.

"I think it's important to share that type of information because there's a lot of people out there that love tennis, a lot of juniors that want to make it. But they're not coming from wealthy backgrounds or places where their federations have a lot of money," McGee said to Tennis Now. "You're not actually making money until you are top 100 or top 120 in the world and it's very difficult to get up there. You need the backing and you need the coaching. You are certainly not going to get up there alone."

When asked what he would recommend for potential changes in the Challenger tour, McGee thinks focus should be brought on the overall schedule that often forces players to travel extreme distances from event to event in one week.

"They put (many) of these tournaments in the middle of nowhere. Like for example, I went up to the top of Canada to a place called Rimouski and then the following week they had a challenger in Guadeloupe which is in the Caribbean," McGee said. "I think they what they need to do is like what they've done these three weeks in the U.S. with Sarasota, Savannah and Tallahassee where there's three tournaments all in the same region and it's not too expensive for players to get from tournament to tournament."

McGee also believes hospitality costs, including lodging, should be provided each week.

Currently, 151 Challenger events are hosted in over 40 countries around the world.