SANTIAGO, Chile – Francisco Cerúndolo, South America’s No. 1, responded to Stefanos Tsitsipas’ stance after the Greek explained that he does not play the South American swing because the financial offers are not attractive enough.
“If they don’t want to come here, then don’t come,” said the Argentine, world No. 19, after advancing to the quarter-finals of the ATP 250 in Santiago.
“Those who want to play on clay, who want to feel South America and discover the cities, or play a different kind of tennis, will come. Those who don’t want to come will go to the Middle East or to Acapulco,” added Cerúndolo, this year’s ATP 250 Buenos Aires champion.
Tsitsipas was clear in an interview with CLAY: money carries significant weight.
“South America has never offered me a deal good enough to seriously consider it. The Middle East has always been much better in terms of appearance fees. The European swing has also provided strong financial incentives. That makes a difference,” admitted the former world No. 3.
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Clay is the surface on which the Greek has been most successful: he is a three-time Monte Carlo Masters champion and a finalist at the 2021 Roland Garros. Yet the winner of 12 ATP titles and nearly 37 million dollars in prize money has prioritised hard-court events in the northern hemisphere in February.
“When the financial gap is big, you really have no option but to stick with what supports your career,” he explained.
Cerúndolo, by contrast, pointed to the freedom of the calendar: “They can choose whatever they want, play the schedule they want. The good thing about tennis is that the calendar is flexible, apart from the Grand Slams and the Masters 1000. After that, everyone chooses the 500s and 250s they want to play, wherever they feel most comfortable.”
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