John Isner Criticizes Grand Slams for Prize Money Distribution

American tennis player, John Isner took an aim at the amount of prize money awarded to the first exit at the grand slams. In a letter to the Forbes Magazine ahead of the Wimbledon Championships 2019, John Isner demanded higher prize money for the players who exit in the opening rounds of grand slams.

John Isner gave a real-life situation example during a grand slam event. He began to explain, “For example, when I travel to a Grand Slam, I need to find a place to stay with my family and my team.”

John Isner further suggested that the Wimbledon Championships 2019 can turn out to be a waste of money for him. He said, “At Wimbledon this year, I found a nice house within walking distance of the All-England Club for around £ 30,000 during the whole tournament. The cash prize of the first round at Wimbledon is £ 45,000, which, together with the flights, salaries and expenses of my team, would make the tournament a waste of money for me.”

John Isner also talked about the taxes on the prize money. “Taxes need to be entered into this discussion as well. Just to use the £45,000 in first-round Wimbledon prize money as an example: Don’t quote me, but I believe the U.K. Tax rate is a staggering 45% or so,” the American said.

He continued, “Of course, each country is different, and there are some complicated rules, but the point I’m trying to make is that taxes are significant, and it’s something to keep in mind as the tournament prize money numbers get put up in headlines—they can actually vary substantially from what ends up in a player’s pocket.”

There have been a lot of talks about the prize money awarded in tennis tournaments lately, especially for the lower ranked players and the lower level tournaments. Vasek Pospisil had revealed the prize money earned and the expenses incurred by the lower-ranked players on the ATP Tour.