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The WTA Tour has said it is considering extending the 2020 season and boosting players earnings if they are able to resume the tennis circuit this year. All the professional tennis circuits - the ITF, ATP & WTA - have currently been suspended till June 7th for now.
In a statement to Reuters, the WTA Tour said, “The WTA is diligently working with our tournaments to maximize earning possibilities when the professional tennis circuit is able to resume and is considering an extension to the current 44-week season to enable more tournaments to take place.
It is our sincere hope to return to the court as soon as possible - when the health and safety or our players, fans and staffs can be guaranteed, we will be back competing. We wish there was a way everyone, especially those in need the most, could be compensated at the level they were expecting, but the needs are so great and the WTA unfortunately is not in a financial position to do that.
Professional tennis players are independent contractors and not employees of the WTA. As a result, a player’s compensation is based on on-court competition and when tournaments are not held this puts a pause on their principal revenue flow.
The WTA fully recognises the challenges these athletes are facing as well as those similar challenges being dealt with from millions of people around the world during this unprecedented situation”. The WTA season usually ends in early November with the WTA Finals but there are some who are of the opinion that if the tour is able to resume, the season should be extended so that players can play as many events as possible which would benefit both tournaments and the players.
