'SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE': DOUBLES PLAYER DEMANDS CHANGE AFTER COLLECTING NO PRIZE MONEY

Ingrid Neel is backing the PTPA's lawsuit. (Getty/James Williamson)

Doubles specialist Ingrid Neel has confessed she lost money playing in one of the biggest tennis tournaments after unexpectedly walking away empty-handed.

The American-Estonian player participated in the opening round of the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open, losing her doubles match in straight sets.

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But despite the event being classified as a WTA 1000, Neel's finances took a hit when she discovered that she would not earn a single cent.

It comes after the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the WTA and other major organisations for issues such as player mistreatment and inequality.

The union shared Neel's video on social media, in what is the PTPA's latest push to highlight poor management and leadership at the top.

"Last year, I played [in] Madrid. I played the match, I took the court, completed everything," said Neel, who is named as one of the plaintiffs for the lawsuit.

"I get an email three days later, very generic, [saying] you will not receive a single dime of prize money for your match. I didn't even know that was possible. It was a rule maybe put in place that gives prize money to the withdrawing players to take.

"I had entered the tournament as a direct acceptant. My doubles partner got injured, so I signed on. I was first alternate, got in, and literally got zero money. So I don't know a self-respecting professional sport that doesn't pay their athletes for literally what they're meant to do, which is perform and play a match.

"It's happened not only to me. Nothing is done about it. Something needs to be done.

"And the fact that a tournament like that, even first-round prize money, can be a major source of income for the entire year for a doubles player. I was top-40 and that was basically my first time qualifying on my own without a wildcard for a [WTA 1000].

"I walked away with zero [prize money], so I lost money going to one of the biggest, most prestigious events that tennis has."

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