WTA CEO Steve Simon backs potential ATP-WTA merger

WTA CEO Steve Simon has announced he is also in favor of a potential ATP and WTA Tour merger, joining new ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi.

The idea gained attention following a tweet from Roger Federer a little more than a week ago, with Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray also saying they back the move. Some top WTA players, like Simona Halep, have provided a positive reaction.

The idea has not been yet discussed in any significant detail, according to Simon.

"I’m not afraid of the full merger," he told the New York Times. "I never have been. 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."

Though both ATP and WTA Tours are on hiatus due to coronavirus, Simon insisted that the WTA was not being economically forced to consider a merger.

"We’ll be fine, but look, if we’re going to do the right business thing and we’re finally going to bring the sport together, I think the WTA would be very supportive of this concept," he said.

The ATP has significantly higher earnings than the WTA, and apart from a handful of top-level joint events, most ATP events have also higher prize money than WTA events.

WTA CEO Steve Simon- Getty Images

Simon told the Telegraph that equal earnings would be more of a "long-term goal" for the WTA Tour, saying, "You certainly can’t go in with those expectations that it is immediately there."

Individual men's and women's tournaments would likely stay on the schedule as "not every facility can accommodate a combined field," he said.

Though cautioning that current rights and sponsor agreements meant any merger would take a long time to compete, he added that presenting the men's and women's competition together would have significant benefits and increase the sport's commercial appeal. That is similar to Gaudenzi's recent comments.

"Right now we compete against ourselves," Simon noted.

The ATP and WTA Tours, along with the ITF and Grand Slams, have been co-operating in providing player relief and reorganizing the schedule since the suspension of competition.