“Players ranked outside the top 100 are barely breaking even and most of them are forced to fund their careers to keep playing professionally. Their lives are a financial struggle,” Serena Williams’ ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou threw light on the dire situation of tennis players’ earnings, over five years ago, in an open letter. But guess what? Even in 2025, the situation is no different, given the recent lawsuit filed against tennis’ governing bodies (WTA, ATP, ITIA, and ITF) by the PTPA.
The organization, co-founded by 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic, launched the legal action last month, citing anti-competitive practices and a huge pay disparity. Its 163-page document is backed by 12 current and former pros, including Nick Kyrgios, Reilly Opelka, and Sorana Cirstea. And guess what? Mouratoglou has now reiterated his sentiments, once again, reflecting on the “real problems” especially for lower-ranked players.
Then, on his Instagram account, on April 1, he shared a clip. Mouratoglou was talking about various issues in the racket sport. One of them happened to be on the pay disparity for players outside of the top 100. He said, “There are not enough players who can live out of tennis. That’s the first thing. And it’s something that I’ve said many times in the past.”
Back in 2020, he mentioned how due to the pandemic and lockdown, lower-ranked players’ survival became extremely tough. In his open letter, he highlighted that due to the tour pause, these players have no income and, unlike most top-100 players, lack savings or sponsorship deals to rely on. 2025? The same. In his latest clip, he added, “It’s not normal that only 100 men and women can live out of tennis, and that a player who’s 200 in the world losing money to play tennis. I think tennis should provide at least to the first 500 players, a way to live correctly without losing money.” So what’s the main issue? Actually, there are two, according to Naomi Osaka‘s current trainer.
“First of all, the percentage that goes to the players compared to the percentage that goes to the tournament or the ATP, has to be fair, and I think the comparison with other sports makes sense.” Surely, it does. While NBA players average $9.6 million and even lower-tier soccer players earn six figures, top 50-100 tennis players make just $200,000 to $500,000 a year. They also have to cover coaching, travel, and taxes on that amount. Moreover, lower-ranked players, from 100-200, can earn only between $50,000 to $150,000 annually. And when it comes to the Challenger/ITF level, the story is even worse. At some events, the prize money only amounts to just $3,000 for winners.
And what about the second issue? Mouratoglou revealed it’s “how much for the top players, how much for the players that you don’t see because they are not on TV but are still 120, 150 in the world, 200 in the world. And they need to live in a sport like tennis that is global and that is making so much money.” Well, he appears to be right here. Even former Aussie legend Rennae Stubbs thinks likewise. So what did she say about the pay disparity?
Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs outlines the ‘Grand Slam’ problem following PTPA’s lawsuit
For Rennae Stubbs, it seems the key issue is regarding the four Majors. How come? In an episode of her podcast, dated March 25, the ex-WTA pro revealed, “If you think about it, I’m going to talk about it in layman’s terms here. Basically, the winner of a Grand Slam is getting somewhere between $3 million and $4 million.” However, it’s not actually a huge amount according to her. It may only seem impressive “until you learn what the tournament is earning.”
She confessed that earning around $4 million sounds great “but when you’re talking about the best players in the world playing seven matches, seven matches over more than two weeks now, every Grand Slam is going to 15 days. It’s like, if you think about a Novak Djokovic, let’s say back in the day, Roger Federer, Serena, the all-time greats. If they played seven nights of exhibitions, they would be making at least $7 million.” And guess what, the numbers don’t lie either.
Take for example last season’s US Open tournament. Do you know how much it made in overall revenue? Over $500 million, including ticket sales, sponsorships, and broadcasting. These details were reported by Tennis Insider Club in September 2024. The prize pool for players was increased to $75 million in the event, with men’s and women’s singles champions taking $3.6 million. But guess what? It was still less, being just 15 percent of the event’s revenue.
Stubbs concluded, “So my whole thing is, when you think about that for a two-week event, the time that they’re giving out, the money that those Grand Slams are making, that is not enough money for them.” So, what are your thoughts on former pros like Mouratoglou and Stubbs’ sentiments over pay disparity? Also, do you think PTPA’s lawsuit will eventually result in a meaningful outcome for players? Let us know in the comments below.
The post “Losing Money to Play Tennis” – Amid PTPA Lawsuit Fever, Serena Williams’ Former Coach Breaks Down Tennis’ Real Problems appeared first on EssentiallySports.
