The ATP's new funding initiative which promises a minimum wage for the 250 ranked players has divided opinion, and Nick Kyrgios shared his unapologetic response.
On Tuesday, the men's governing body of professional tennis, ATP, made a groundbreaking announcement of Baseline, which they called 'a transformative financial security programme' that will launch in 2024 for a trial period lasting three years.
While the move has received acclaim from some parts of the tennis world, a lot of it in the initial phase is directed with negative enthusiasm. Kyrgios responded to a tweet that broke down the various ranking bands and in correlation to the amount the player would be compensated per year, saying, 'Lol, still not enough', easily suggesting players should earn more.
Kyrgios wasn't the only one who called out the ATP's new wage plan. British coach Calvin Betton spoke to Telegraph Sport, and questioned the motives behind the move, adding that it's been aimed at the wrong category of players.
"It’s aimed at the wrong people: it’s those ranked outside the top 250 who really need help. You really need money if you’re ranked between 250 and 600."
"I also think it’s quite funny that the ATP announcement featured a quote from Grigor Dimitrov (the former world No3). That’s like asking Tom Cruise to give a quote about the difficulties of being a struggling actor."
The initiative is aimed at ensuring players can make a sustainable living in the game. Players ranked between 1-100 are guaranteed to receive $300,000, while those ranked 101-175 will make $150,000, and the rest of the top 250 will bank at least $75,000.
So far, Novak Djokovic's rival player union PTPA has taken credit for putting pressure on the ATP and necessating these changes. And it's not the first time Kyrgios has raised his voice as far as unfair pay goes in his book. A month ago, he claimed he should have been paid more than what he received after making the Wimbledon final in 2022.
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