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SHANGHAI ROLEX MASTERSOctober 8, 2014Chris KermodeSHANGHAI, CHINA THE MODERATOR: We're ready to get started with the first question. Q. Chris, what do you make of the current state of tennis, not just in China, but in Asia, the changes that you've seen throughout, the challenges going ahead? CHRIS KERMODE: A very good question actually. I came out here I think in 2002 the first time to the Masters here in Shanghai. I haven't been back since. Just seeing the change, such a dramatic change over a relatively short period of time has been incredible. I think sort of tennis in Asia with more challengers, now three categories of ATP World Tour events, 250s, 500s and a 1000 here, demonstrates the demand for tennis here. I think we're just at the beginning. I think it's only going to get bigger and bigger. This event in particular, the Shanghai Masters 1000, this is voted by the players as the best 1000 on the tour, which is a huge honor because players can be quite critical. For them to vote this as their favorite tournament, it's a huge testament to what has been done here. I think hearing plans about the high‑speed rail network here in a couple of years, that will help get more fans from the city to here. I think the work that's being done behind the scenes is only going to continue to grow this event as a global event rather than just an Asian event. Q. Are there plans in the works in the next few years to expand in China, similar to how the WTA has in recent years? Do you foresee many more tournaments coming? CHRIS KERMODE: This year I was very open with the board, my board, inside the ATP. My short‑term goal is to get prize money done for the three categories, and the calendar sorted for the next four years, so that then going into next year we have a period of stability, a period of calm to then review our whole business top to bottom. That's from challengers, 250s, 500s, 1000s. That's how we market our sport, produce it on TV, the whole digital arena. In the past I think it's tended to be all these issues are looked at in isolation. I want to do it as a whole from the bottom upwards. So to answer your question of more events in this region, I think we just have to look at our whole structure, and that's how many tournaments on the tour, and take it from there, which regions. We need to have that balance. I've always said this: protecting the traditional markets of Europe and the States, whilst clearly expanding into new markets, bigger markets. It's getting that balance. It's very easy to switch from one to the other, but I think we need to continue to grow at the same time. And all of our events that we have, the trick that I need to have is how can I incentivize every event to get bigger and better, whatever category you're in. That's the goal going forward. I want to set out a 10‑year plan. Q. There's been a lot of pressure from top players over the years to shorten the calendar. The ATP has reacted to that. The season is now shorter. What do you make of the fact that so many top players are going to go off to Asia after the end of the season and play in the new league? CHRIS KERMODE: Well, I get asked that question a lot. It's a very good one. The ATP I think took a responsible move to put a defining period of time for the season. I'm very strong on I think the ATP has a responsibility to have a season that starts and finishes at a certain point. You could argue a week less, a week more, whatever, but having that defining period. What players then choose to do in their off‑season is really a player responsibility. Now, obviously I'm open up for criticism that we reduce the calendar, now there are going to be exhibitions. There have always been exhibitions. There always will continue to be exhibitions. I think what has caused this to be an issue is the word 'league.' This is just a series of glorified exhibitions. I actually don't have a problem with it. It's very light entertainment. It's no problem that players can go and play in it. They're not going to be playing at 100%. I'm actually okay because, as I said, it's just a bit of light entertainment. Q. The ATP World Tour Finals has had a long and very successful time at the O2 in London, which is something you've had a major part in. To all intents and purposes, that comes to an end next year. Can you tell us what the situation is thereafter? CHRIS KERMODE: We're going through a process now, we're through to 2015, and we have been reviewing the last few months, last seven months, exploring options, whether we stay in London, what are our options to move. It's always a balancing act. It's financially very important for the ATP, for the tour. It's the one event we actually have ownership of. As a consequence of that, it's also about the statement for the game. It's a combination of it's got to be financially viable and attractive. But equally, if we go anywhere, we want to be in a market that's growing, where fans are there, that there's an appetite for it, a demand for it. So we're looking at all various options and we will have an answer by, I would say, April next year as to what we're going to do. But I don't want to rush into making any quick decision because I think I have a responsibility to look at all the options. Q. There is a possibility that it could stay in London for several more years? CHRIS KERMODE: Nothing is off the table. So, yes, it could stay in London, and it could move. Q. When you were talking about the 10‑year plan, wanting to get things somewhat stabilized with respect to the calendar, also prize money. First off with the prize money. Is there also going to be any consideration of challengers, the prize money on that, the lower level outside of the ATP Tour level events? And with respect to the calendar, what exactly are the challenges that you're finding in terms of getting it solidified for the next four years? CHRIS KERMODE: On the challengers, this is a piece of work that we need to do to define what ranking the ATP feels it is responsible for an ATP player to make a living. What is that ranking number. Once you pick that number, you then define what making a living is. Obviously, depending on where you come from in the world, people's view of what making a living is very different. Challengers obviously are the starting point. We have to get more money into challengers. There's no question about that. It's a very easy statement to make. But where does the money come from. We've got to put that all together in a plan. I never want it to be sort of a separate tour, where someone can earn a living for the next eight years playing challengers. It is meant to be a steppingstone for players, coming through the ITF futures. It's almost like a university progression. You play your challengers, then you go on to the world tour. It's meant to be a feeding mechanism, not a place where someone can earn a living. So we've got to make sure that we have the right tournaments in the right weeks. That's probably the biggest one. It's not just about throwing money at it. It's about calendar flow. Clearly for players, it can't be costing them money to play the challengers. The calendar, I just want to provide this period of stability so that we can start looking at the product and what we're going to do long‑term, take our time on it. You need that period of calm. That four years would be good, just so promoters know which weeks they're in, players know where they're going to be, promoters know how much they're going to pay, players know how much they're going to receive. There are some calendar issues. The 2016 Olympics causes some real congestion in the summer. But we just have to confront those and produce the best calendar that we can. The calendar is like a pack of cards: you move one piece, the whole thing falls down. It's very complicated. We need to be in a situation where in 2019 we can have a calendar that is the most effective it can be. Q. One of the most frequent criticisms that I hear from top players about the calendar is not so much the length of the year, it's the number of mandatory tournaments. Do you regard the present number as sacrosanct, a cornerstone of the tour? CHRIS KERMODE: No. I think by what I've just said, I don't think anything is sacrosanct. It's very easy to make some radical changes too quickly that can have repercussions that you maybe didn't foresee, which is why the piece of work has got to be really strategic and looked at with proper research, not an emotional response. Now what that number turns out to be post 2019, who knows. But I do believe that there is a tier of tournaments that should be mandatory because it's like going to a concert, you know who you're going to see. If the band you paid for is not there, well, It's not what I paid for. There is a category of top tier you need to have. What that number is we will get to post 2018. Q. Back to ranking points. I think it's probably more than 10 years ago that bonus points were done away with. There were quite a few of us at the time who thought maybe that's not quite a good thing. You're talking about rewarding the lower‑tiered players. Perfect case in point is a Chinese player ranked 550 beating Fognini. He gets the same amount of points at somebody who beat a qualifier. Any more discussion about bringing bonus points back? CHRIS KERMODE: All of this, the whole ranking system, everything needs to be looked at. But I don't foresee any short‑term changes for the reason that I want to do everything as a whole. You can take one piece like this, talk about it. You can take another issue with something else. That's why it hasn't been very strategic. We want to put it all in the mix. The counter‑argument to bonus points is someone like that plays maybe Rafa, who is ill. Is that fair? I don't know. I mean, I think there are both pros and cons. I think the theory of rewarding someone who has had a major win in principle is a good one. But it's the execution of that to make sure it's fair to all players. Q. In China we call the past 10 years the Golden Decade of Chinese tennis, but mainly on the women's side. With Li Na retired now, we have to start the second decade. We wonder if our men players can fill the void. I know the ATP is working hard to bring more challengers into China. Besides that, does the ATP have a specific plan to help our players grow? CHRIS KERMODE: It's an interesting one. I met with the mayors of Beijing and Shanghai. We talked about this very issue. Having a local domestic star like Li Na, or say with Kei Nishikori in Japan, it has a huge impact. So if we did manage to have a big Chinese star, tennis would go off the scale. How you do that is very, very complicated. You can ask everybody in tennis that's been around the world, How do you develop players? There doesn't seem to be one system that's across the board the way to do it. You look at the French system, which produces lots of players. You look at the Spanish players, again the same thing. In terms of getting a real global icon that can win Grand Slams, that seems to come from within. I mean, you've got to have almost a platform of many players able to play the game, so opportunities to play at a grassroots level, you have to have the challenger level. You have to have events where kids can come and be inspired to see their heroes and take up the game. But to get to the top of tennis requires such an incredible inner strength and determination that I don't think you can predict where those players are going to come from. What seems to be the common trait is that they have this hunger that you can be born with. But equally I think lots of successful stories are where players are maybe sent out of their country, their regions, and learn the game. We have it obviously with Andy Murray going to Barcelona. Nishikori went over to the States. Dimitrov went to the States. It's very tough for the kids to do this. It's brutal. But it does provide that sort of inner desire that comes out later. I've seen various countries where the players are supported so well that it's actually too comfortable. They go out on the world tour, find it quite hard. They come back to their home country, and it's too comfortable. Again, it's the balancing act. It's a bit like the challengers where you have to be hungry enough to get up to the next level. It's the same with development. It's that balance of being able to be financially supported, but you've got to want to get right up there. I think if the whole infrastructure is in place, it's a numbers game at the end of the day. Get more people playing, you have a greater chance of finding that special talent. Q. Speaking of Kei Nishikori, obviously major impact within the Asian market. Your thoughts on what you foresee his impact being should he become a Grand Slam champion, finish the season in the top five? His success individually, what impact does that have on the ATP? CHRIS KERMODE: I think anybody who gets into sort of Grand Slam status, world No.1, ultimately if you speak to any player on the ATP World Tour, being world No.1 seems to be the most important thing. That goes down in the history books. We had all the guys in New York a couple years ago, past No.1's, which there were very few. That sense of pride and honor was quite impressive. When they strive to become world No.1, what happens then is you almost transcend the sport. You become a global icon. Obviously Kei will be huge in Japan, but I think he's got a personality and a style that I think he'll be a global star. Q. Maybe since 2002 we have the Masters Cup, then we have the Shanghai Masters. In these 10 years, more and more people pick up tennis racquets. Seems like the Shanghai Masters is going in the right way. My question is, in your opinion, which part can we do better if you want to go further? CHRIS KERMODE: Specifically with this event? Q. Yes. CHRIS KERMODE: I think the key of all successful sporting events is where the event becomes so desirable to go to. That's anything, whether it's sporting, music. It has to be the golden ticket to come to, that demand that you have to go there. I think it takes a long time for events to grow and get that place in the calendar. But it has to have real meaning. Sport is a very simple product. It's about caring who wins over someone else. That's ultimately what it is. I think the fact that the organizers do such an unbelievable job in making players feel special, welcome, the crowds. You can see the adulation when the players walk through. All that has a very special meaning. That's represented when it goes onto the court. I think it can only get better and better through players supporting this event, which they clearly are. That's long‑term. But the key will be the interaction, making the fan experience more attractive to come to, so your day coming to the tennis is more than just watching a tennis match. All sport is doing it, and they do a great job here. Q. For a young player coming through the ranks in Asia, do you think he or she, even without any support from maybe a Federation or sponsors, can come through the futures, the challengers, is it paying enough to sustain themselves? Except for the basic minimum of racquet and gear, do you think it's possible for players to go from futures to challengers, and with the prize money they're making, to keep progressing? Can they sustain themselves? CHRIS KERMODE: I think it's possible. Is it hard? Yes. But I would say that in any sport. I have enough confidence in everybody's different countries, different Federations, different systems, that if someone shows the desire and ability, someone will spot it somewhere. France has numerous examples of people that were spotted playing in a park and plucked out into the system. Again, if a child has that desire and wants to play, they will almost push themselves to find opportunities to be spotted I think. It's tough. But it's tough to make it in any sport. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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