“No. 100 player in golf is making more than No. 10 player in tennis” – Andre Agassi's ex-coach Brad Gilbert on how Saudi deal can benefit tennis
Andre Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert has suggested that tennis can benefit if the ATP, WTA, and the Grand Slams get on board with the Saudis.
Gilbert, who is otherwise known more for his coaching abilities, was once ranked as high as the World No. 4 on the men's singles circuit. He actively competed on the tour from 1982 to 1995 and won 20 ATP titles and a bronze medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
Gilbert served as Agassi's head coach from 1994 to 2002, assisting him in his six Grand Slam triumphs. Furthermore, he briefly partnered up with the likes of Andy Roddick and Andy Murray and is currently a part of Coco Gauff's entourage.
Gilbert recently appeared for an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box and talked about the pay disparity between golfers and tennis professionals.
"The top players are doing well but the one thing in golf that has dramatically changed is the No. 100 player, you know, 10 years ago in tennis, we were making similar money. Now the No. 100 player in golf is making more than the No. 10 player in tennis," Gilbert said.
Saudi's golf tour, LIV Golf, has notably offered huge contracts to some of the top players in the last couple of years to snatch them from the PGA Tour. Moreover, their golfers earn significantly more than they would have on the PGA Tour when it comes to prize money at events.
The 62-year-old noted that Saudi Arabia's interest may improve the finances of the sport and the athletes alike in hindsight.
"So sometimes competition isn't good, sometimes competition is great. So, hopefully, besides this one Saudi offer with the ATP and WTA, now the Grand Slams are going to say, 'You know what, we want this to happen, we're going to get our own tour and try to get you on board'," Gilbert added.
The Saudi Tennis Federation (STF), along with the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF), is believed to be working on a 'premier tour' in collaboration with the Grand Slams, the ATP and the WTA. The rumored 'premier tour' is expected to structurally draw inspiration from the PGA Tour in golf or the F1 Grand Prix.
"The tennis players right now in my humble opinion are getting the short end of the stick" - Andre Agassi's ex-coach Brad Gilbert
During the same interview, Andre Agassi's ex-coach Brad Gilbert reckoned that it's for the players to determine whether they go forward with the Saudis or not.
"You're not going to please everybody on this decision. There's going to be some people who are totally against it but this is a player's decision, what they're going to decide, how they're going to move forward," Gilbert added.
The American coach further advised the players should not wait for the ATP or WTA's nod if Grand Slams get on board with the Saudis.
"The [tennis] players right now in my humble opinion are getting the short end of the stick. If we get the same offer from the Grand Slams to do the tour, I'd say 'Go with the Grand Slams', because they already control the four biggest tournaments," Gilbert added.