15. CHALK AND CHEESE

There are two tennis ‘tours’ in the women’s game – the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tour and the ITF (International Tennis Federation) Pro Circuit.

As a (female) player progresses from the junior tour, she will start on the ITF tour, most likely with the W15 and W25 events. From here she can progress to the W60s and W80’s then onto the top tier of the ITF tour which is the W100 level. 

Now what do these figures mean? Well, a W15 equates to a $15k tournament. This means that the total prize money to be given out at that event is $15k. Contrary to what a non-tennis player may think, this does not mean that the winner of the singles event gets $15k. No, it means that the total prize money pot is $15k and this is paid out to the qualifying and main draw singles players and the main draw doubles players. So, despite the $15k tag, the singles winner will only walk away with a max of $2300, less her entry fee and any local tax. Not much when you consider the costs of getting to the tournament, the accommodation, meals etc. Hence, more often than not, the winner of a W15 (and higher levels too) will actually make a loss. 

The ITF tournaments can be pretty basic. Some of the venues are nice but some, not so – it’s a bit of a lottery. Your player has to book her own flights and accommodation and obviously fund all the other things in between (unless the tournament has ‘+H’ attached to it in which case accommodation and half board meals are provided whilst the player remains in the draw). The tournament organiser, via a Fact Sheet, gives basic information such as the nearest airport, station etc; and at least one recommended hotel (not always the cheapest or nicest). They will also advise as to whether or not transport will be provided from the tournament hotel to the club. But that’s about it. All pretty basic and the lower-level events especially can be quite stressful for the player and team. In addition, the ITF Pro Circuit events are a bit of a lottery when it comes to the provision of decent practice balls, line judges, ball kids, umpires (not always provided in the qualifying rounds), live scores, live streams, etc. 

When your player moves up to the WTA level, a whole new world opens up. Now the journey to this level is not easy and involves a lot of talent and hard work but the rewards are there when you get there. 

The WTA tour also has a number of tiers – WTA125, WTA250, WTA500 and WTA1000 and again the number depicts the size of the prize money pot – although maybe not in quite the precise terms as with the ITF tour. But the difference between the ITF and WTA events is like chalk and cheese. Whilst you still have to book flights/travel to the WTA events, the accommodation is all organised for the players and a certain number of nights are paid for – on a per diem basis. Transport from specified airports/train stations is provided and at least half board meals are offered free of charge. Also often included is laundry (an essential), practice balls, and even the occasional organised excursion to local tourist spots. The number of staff on hand at WTA events is significantly more than the ITF events and all are extremely helpful. They are always very welcoming and happy to advise players on all things WTA. 

The final level on the women’s ladder is the Grand Slams. These are WTA events but the venues themselves have a big involvement in the organisation and the level of hospitality is considerably above that of the lower-level events – after all the players have earned these rewards offered by these prestigious tournaments and the media attention is huge so the organisers are out to impress! I will write about the ‘Slams’ in another blog as each is unique. 

With regard to the men’s game, the lower-level events are also organised by the ITF Pro Circuit but there are a few differences. The M15 and M25 events are often referred to as ‘Futures’ tournaments. From here the player will move onto the Challenger tournaments then above that, the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) take over the events. 

So that’s the tours in a nut shell. I can only speak with any experience, about the women’s tours but the whole organisation does in my opinion, appear to be somewhat more complicated than perhaps it needs to be, especially as communication between the ITF and WTA is not always effective. Certainly, I think one organising body for women’s tennis (as opposed to two) makes more sense and maybe even one body for all tennis events (male and female). What do you think?

******************************************************

If you have enjoyed this blog, please share and read more at http://www.realitytennis.WordPress.com and subscribe to receive e mail notification of upcoming blogs as they are released. Follow also at:

Twitter: @realitytennis

Instagram: reality tennis

If you have similar stories to share, please feel free to e mail the author at: sallyappleton64@sallyappleton