Reevaluating the ATP's Role
The ATP Tour ”won.” The jury in the Delaware court case between the ATP Tour and the ATP Masters Hamburg tournament, i.e. German Tennis Federation, decided in favor of the ATP Tour by ruling that the ATP had not violated anti-trust laws with its new tournament calendar for 2009. The ATP Masters Hamburg tournament, which had been downgraded from top tier to second tier in the new plan, had sued the ATP because
it believed that the ATP was monopolizing the players by requiring them to play in so many specified events that they would not have time to play in any others. However, is professional tennis “winning” with the current ATP structure? The trial raises the question again regarding the role of the ATP Tour, i.e. can it be the governing body of men’s professional tennis and the players association and represent the tournament directors? Is that too many roles for one organization? Should there be a separate players association? Should there be a commissioner?
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