MUMBAI: Women’s Tennis Association chief Steve Simon has said a merger with the men’s ATP “makes all the sense in the world” but that it would not take the form of “an acquisition”.
But some top WTA players have said they want an equal standing for the women players in a combined body. As many as seven associations run different parts of the sport in the world. Besides the ATP and the WTA Tours, tennis is also controlled by the International Tennis Federation and the boards of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
“I’m not afraid of the full merger; I never have been,” Simon said. “I would certainly be the first to support it, because I think then you truly have the business and the strategic principles all aligned, which is what you need to do.