The tennis tour is truly unique. The world’s best players traverse all corners of the globe each year but with the distinct ability to choose their own schedule.
Take February on the men’s side for example:
Want to play in America? You can.
The Middle East? Yep.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile? They’ll have you in a heartbeat.
But the decision isn’t that simple.
While any player would love the luxury of picking their events based on travel desires or even tournament quality, in reality, it’s based on money, points, and for many, tour survival.
Tennis’ pressured 52-week rolling rankings system sees players venturing far and wide just to make the entry cut for a main draw or qualifying event.
And particularly for the sport’s stars, the consideration revolves around where you can earn the most money, in various forms.
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There’s your natural prize money, awarded to a player based on performance in the tournament.
And then there are appearance fees, which are provided by events to attract big-name players; fees which can be 'earned' before the tournament commences.
The First Serve was told by local press in Argentina that Carlos Alcaraz received US$1 million just to step foot in their country for last year’s ATP 250 in Buenos Aires.
It is believed that in 2025, world No.2 Alexander Zverev received a similar fee to headline the event, then doubled it on arrival in Rio de Janeiro.
The motivation shift from a Grand Slam final to a 250 is a challenge in itself. But pair it with the fact that he’s essentially had a successful fortnight before taking to the court, and we have our first problem.
Having spent the past two weeks watching Zverev live in Buenos Aires and Rio, it was visibly evident he wasn’t playing with desperation; at least not the type you see in qualifying from players vying for the top-100.
On the face, this seems like an incentive issue, but ATP tournament director (Hangzhou Open) Peter Johnston told The First Serve that these guaranteed fees do vary in form.
"There are different ways to structure them, whether it’s just a base fee, bonuses by ranking or by how far a player goes in the tournament...so that they’re not coming and picking up the money and then exiting pretty quickly," Johnston said.
Zverev - who suffered relatively early exits for his standards in South America - dismissed motivation as the problem. Instead, he blamed the Buenos Aires crowd after losing to Francisco Cerúndolo, before later falling to Francisco Comesaña in Rio.
The German suggested that the Argentine fans make it impossible for internationals to compete, but having been in the 'la cancha' (the court), they were no more hostile than usual.
In fact, an 18-year-old João Fonseca faced even tougher atmospheres and still managed to defeat four local players on his way to the title.
Ultimately, these fans are just appreciative to have a top-10 player come to their city, as attracting them has become increasingly difficult.
Zverev would not visit Argentina and Brazil without a guaranteed appearance fee, and in return, his presence creates significant commercial benefit for the tournament (sponsors, TV rights, fan attendance, etc.).
For ATP / WTA 250 and 500 tournaments - being held simultaneously with competing events - securing top-tier players often comes down to the challenge of 'buying' quality participants.
However, Johnston suggested that tournaments such as Buenos Aires and Rio (who are strong financially) can win valuable signatures with effective planning and creativity.
"It’s a matter of putting your best foot forward to recruit," he revealed.
"The appearance money helps you put together the field that suits your market. Sure, some tournaments have deeper pockets than others, but that’s when you’ve got to be clever.
"There’s only a certain amount of marquee players and storylines to go around and you’ve got to be on your game to maximise those opportunities."
Last week, Qatar (Doha) - a country without a deep-rooted passion for tennis - attracted signatures from six of the men’s top-10, while Brazil (Rio) - with the same points and almost equivalent prize money up for grabs - managed just one.
Yet, it's not necessarily proof that money dictates everything, with South American events seeking the value of local stars (notably Fonseca) and alternative storylines that better suit their commercial market.
That said, from my outsider perspective, it seems the global nature of the sport would be enhanced if tournaments were forced to earn player signatures on merit and the quality of their event.
But in reality, the guarantees are here to stay.
"It’s almost impossible to police. Everybody on the tour knows that this is the game, this is the business we’re in, and they adapt accordingly. Players understand it, tournaments understand it, and the tours understand it," Johnston said.
"If a tournament can’t function in that environment, it gets sold to somewhere that can."
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