As the tennis tour continues to remain suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the lower-ranked players are struggling to make a living during the shutdown. Consequently, World No.1 Novak Djokovic planned a Player Relief Fund to financially help these players during the global health crisis.

The top 100 tennis players along with the seven governing bodies of tennis rallied to raise $6 million for the Player Relief Fund. The fund proposed by Djokovic operated on a scaled basis, with the top-ranked players in the world donating $30,000 each.

Novak Djokovic and other top players should donate more

However, Ben Rothenberg, writer for The New York Times, attacked Djokovic for contributing only $30,000 while he has earned more than $100 million over his career.

He explained that the top tennis players should have taken a higher cut for contributing to the Relief Fund and their donation is quite small as compared to their earnings.

“Djokovic’s plan was: ‘I will donate $30,000’. But he has made more than 100 million in his career. It is about half what he would have made for losing first-round Australian Open,” Rothenberg told Tennis Majors.

“Instead, he won the Australian Open and won like $3 million for that. He only wants to give $30,000. That’s pretty meagre for the top players. This donation system should be more top-heavy,” he concluded.

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Tennis is a lucrative sport for those at the top but the players at the lower echelons lie on the borderline. Many lower-ranked players depend solely on tournament earnings to make ends meet. Consequently, the governing bodies of tennis are trying every possible way to resume the tour which will at least help these players to get some income.

Moreover, the Player Relief Fund would have certainly helped these players during the pandemic. However, the top associates of tennis should find a permanent solution for these players so that they can make a good living from the sport.