Finally Coming Together

Five years ago, during the COVID pause, men's and women's tennis players were separately negotiating about how the tours would safely resume competition.  They negotiated separately--with the same parties--because the men's and women's tours are two distinct entities.  If that sounds silly, that's because it is.  At the time, Roger Federer suggested that the two tours should combine forces.  And I wholeheartedly agreed!

Now it looks like that may finally be happening.  According to Stacey Allaster, the CEO of professional tennis at the USTA, the two tours are "on the doorstep" of combining their commercial assets.  They'll remain two separate tours, but operating as one single business (think American League and National League).  It's not a done deal yet, so there's still a chance that it won't actually happen.  But the fact that they're close enough for somebody to be making it public is a very encouraging sign that it will.  And, frankly, it's a win-win for everyone.

These negotiations between the tours have apparently been taking place on and off for a few years now.  Evidently, the hang-up was always that the ATP thought there was more value in standalone men's events than standalone women's events, so they wanted a greater revenue split.  Whether the ATP backed off that demand and agreed to 50-50 probably won't be known until the full deal becomes public, but it's clearly a split that both sides are comfortable with.  (And 50-50 would obviously make the most sense.)

Frankly, the men's and women's tennis tours merging into a single commercial entity was a long time coming.  And it makes too much sense to not do it!  They're playing in the same tournaments, attracting the same sponsors and same broadcast partners, appealing to essentially the same fan base.  There really isn't a reason for them not to join forces and look out for each other's best interest (while possibly getting a better deal for themselves in the process).

While the men's and women's tours will continue to be separate organizations that play different schedules (at least to start), combining into a single business entity seems to be about generating wider coverage for both.  If they negotiate together, that means they can sell one media rights package, which might be more attractive to broadcast/streaming partners.  Perhaps just as significantly, it could lead to cross-promotion if the same media rights partner is showing both the men's and women's tournaments in a weekend.  Ditto with sponsorships, data deals, etc.  If everything's combined, it guarantees equal coverage for the men and women.

This is already the case for the Grand Slams and the handful of other combined tournaments played throughout the year.  The only thing that's different at any of those tournaments is the sponsor logo on the net (the men and women have different ones).  Everything else is the same.  The same broadcaster covers both the men and women, ticket buyers will generally get both men's and women's matches in a given session, and the prize money is usually the same.  So, the idea of selling men's and women's tennis rights together isn't a foreign concept.

When they play a combined event, it's obviously easier to market/sell as a single event.  Where it becomes more difficult is when the men and women are playing different events that not only aren't in the same city, they're in different countries or even different continents.  And that's assuming they both only have one tournament that weekend.  There are plenty of weekends where there will be multiple smaller tournaments on both tours.  How would this combined coverage work there?  (Although, I'd imagine those smaller events are less of a concern for the ATP and WTA.)

Nobody is suggesting that either tour get rid of those smaller events, either.  Those small tournaments are important for the players, from the chance to earn experience to the prize money to, most importantly, the ranking points.  They're important for the cities that host them, too.  The revenue that a tennis tournament brings in wouldn't be easy to replace.  But some of these cities simply aren't big enough to host a combined event (or might not have the interest in hosting one).  And holding separate men's and women's tournaments on different weeks might be too much of a financial burden for the city to take on.

Would the tours becoming a combined legal entity result in more combined tournaments?  Probably.  There are already several, and it's easy to see tournaments like the Canadian Open merging (one year, the men play in Toronto and the women play in Montreal, then it flips).  Ditto about the Australian Open tune-ups at the end/beginning of the year (when they start usually depends on when during the week New Year's falls).  That may be one of the purposes for this, as well.  Because those combined tournaments are easier for all involved.

Which isn't to say they can't (or shouldn't) continue to have standalone events.  Tournaments such as the ATP and WTA Finals are certainly strong enough to stand on their own, and they would lose something if they weren't separate.  (It's like the asinine suggestion of combining the Men's and Women's Final Fours, which wouldn't accomplish anything positive for the Women's Final Four.)  Ditto about Davis Cup and Billie Jean Cup.  But, by and large, the tennis tournaments that draw the most attention are the combined ones.

From a business perspective, it makes sense for both the ATP and WTA Tours.  They have identical interests and would mutually benefit.  The tours already have a close relationship.  They have to.  It's in both of their best interest.  So, if they're already working together, why not just make it official?

It isn't just in the ATP and WTA's best interest as businesses, it's in the players' best interest as individuals, too.  It puts them on equal footing with equal negotiating power.  You can't offer the men a better deal than the women or to cover one and not the other.  Any agreement would apply equally to both.  And that means equally in all respects. 

Yes, there would still be gender-specific tournaments.  But, otherwise, the tours would be the same legal entity.  And that would only serve to benefit everyone.  Men's and women's tennis have always had and always will have a symbiotic relationship.  They're stronger together.  And they can be stronger together while also maintaining separate but equal identities.

Should this come to fruition, it would be a seismic change for both the ATP and the WTA.  A seismic change that would be overwhelmingly positive.  Both tours are incredibly successful on their own.  So, just imagine how much of a force they can become when and if they combine forces!  It'll be great for the tours (as businesses).  It'll be great for the players.  And, most importantly, it'll be great for tennis fans around the world.