Tsitsipas: “Show me the money” to tournaments

Former top 10 regular Stefanos Tsitsipas is not shy about the desire to top up his prize money, with the Greek telling ATP 250 and 500-level tournaments: Show me the money.

The No. 43 who crashed out in the first round at last week’s title defence start event in Dubai, is hoping to make improvements as the Indian Wells Masters starts at mid-week.

But the 27-year-old Greek is also keen to add to his bank balance now that his prize money totals are falling due to poor results. 

Tsitsipas told online outlet “Clay” why he is chasing increased income as much as points after saying he avoided clay events last month in South America due to the lack of attractive appearance fee offers.

“I truly enjoy playing in South America. The passion of the fans there is special and I have a lot of respect for the tournaments and the culture around tennis in that region. 

“On the ATP Tour, players outside of prize money have very limited ways to support their careers financially. The reality is that ATP 250 and ATP 500 events are often the only opportunities where appearance fees exist.”

“Because of that, scheduling decisions are sometimes influenced by those factors. This is not unique to me. It is a standard model followed by many players, especially those competing at the top level.”

He added: “I was explaining something that is common knowledge inside professional tennis, not expressing negativity toward any country or tournament.”

“I have great appreciation for every place I compete in and I hope to play in many different regions of the world in the future as well.