Andy Murray says he never thought about boycotting the 2013 Australian Open. Before the tournament announced that it would raise prize money by roughly $4 million to a record $31.1 million, some players had suggested the possibility of doing so.
“I think the Australian Open has stepped up really well,” Murray told reporters. “They've obviously listened to the players and the ATP and have made a real effort to improve things. You know, from my side, I never viewed striking at the Australian Open as a real option. From all the players I’ve spoken to so far, everyone’s been very happy with the increases in the prize money and their plan over the next few years, as well. Hopefully that's something we won’t need to worry about for a while.”
Before Murray made his statements, ATP Players Council president Roger Federer said that there is still work to do.
“The question is, are we that extremely happy with the Australian Open? It was nice to see they have made a move,” Federer said. “Is it significant enough? I’m not sure. We'll see how things play out in the next nine months.”