Feliciano Lopez: Tournaments likely to have deep cuts in prize money

Tennis tournaments are likely to have to reduce prize money by significant amounts due to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, believes Feliciano Lopez.

Lopez, who is both a player on the ATP Tour and tournament director of the joint ATP and WTA event at Madrid, told British journalists in an online conversation that tournaments and players would both take a hit to their bottom lines because of reduced sponsorship and attendance restrictions.

"We have to understand that tennis is not going to be the same," he said, as quoted by *BBC*. "The companies and the sponsors, they might have to fire employees. This is happening everywhere in the world so the first thing they cut is sponsorship and this is going to be affecting tennis massively.

"But we need to survive this moment and we need to be united and we need to be together now."

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The impact could be lengthy, he added, and would also depend on whether tournaments are allowed to have spectators. The Madrid event is looking to have 30-40 percent of its usual crowd if it is played in its rescheduled spot following the US Open.

"Madrid, now we are working on this plan that there is going to be a reduction in the prize money, if you can have the tournament with some people in the stands or if you don't have any spectators at all," he said.

Lopez also is in favor of playing the US Open, while saying that every player should make their own decision about whether to compete or not.

"I really think we have to start playing as soon as possible because this is for the benefit of the majority of the tour," he said.

Lopez, ranked No. 56, has returned to play by competing in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown exhibition at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy.