TMS MONTE CARLO

April 21, 2002

Martin Damm

Patrice Dominguez

Francis Truchi

FRANCIS TRUCHI: Good morning. It was a good tournament this time although the weather was not on our side. The players showed many qualities not only on the court, but also in the locker rooms. It's not easy when you're interrupted in your play, then you have to come back on to the court, and you have to stop again, but they proved they were professionals by remaining available. It is the players themselves, as Patrice was saying this morning, who yesterday evening said, "We will wait until 7:30 p.m. to see if the sky clears up." And, indeed, they had good insight since we were able to finish the program. From the attendance point of view, this tournament took place outside of school holidays in the region. But, in spite of that, we had the same attendance as last year - although more regularly spread out throughout the week. On Sunday we had 2,000 people more than last year. This can be explained by the fact that Saturday people were deprived of a match, and they switched to Sunday. The tournament was enlightened by the presence of Richard Gasquet. Everybody here among you journalists wrote articles about that boy who, last year, the week before the tournament, had won the Cap d'Ail. This is what we can say on the tournament as a whole: The weather was difficult this year. We're glad the finals will be able to take place. The weather forecast is reasonably optimistic. The players will both be Spanish. Last year the winner here became the Roland Garros champion. It was the fourth time in ten years. We'll see in a few weeks if the same thing will happen.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: I'm ready to answer your questions if you have any. Francis made a good summing up. The challenge was difficult this year because of the commercial side, the functioning of the tournament was difficult - all this because of the ISL bankruptcy last year. Therefore, this year was a decisive one. The fact that from the sports point of view it was a successful event was a considerable plus for us. Because, like Francis said, we were not on school holidays, period, which has an enormous impact on the attendance. Children's groups represent a very important part of the attendance usually. In spite of all these elements, we proved the strength of the tournament, thanks to its tradition of the dates of this tournament in the calendar and the favorable results. We are also very happy that during this tournament the French players were able to have very good performances. We know they came in this tournament being very tired. Grosjean was able to become fit again and to reach the semis, thanks to the common efforts of all of us and especially to the efforts of our medical staff. I believe it was an enormous satisfaction to have him with us here. As for Gasquet, if we participated in the development of his career by offering him a wildcard, it was an absolutely natural thing to do. There was a unanimous decision about this, in agreement with the National Technical Director of the Federation. It goes in the right direction. It's not a surprise, but there were 35 to 40 finals these past years between Spanish players on clay. In the absence of Kuerten, Ferrero is probably the most consistent player. We are, therefore, going to have a beautiful final. I hope it will be played up until the end, that Moya will last physically, because he made enormous efforts in the semis. We watched a great match, especially with the third set between him and Safin in the quarterfinals. We are very, very satisfied. Three months ago we were having fears about this year's tournament, because the Masters Series had undergone a terrible shock. But the players are realizing they have to be involved in all our decisions. And a reform, a restructuring of the game - even of the calendar - and of certain rules concerning doubles remains a major concern, but we are ready to do it all together. The proof is the sense of responsibility of the players. I insist a lot on that, because I am also a member of the ATP Board. The managers, members of the Board were renewed. One manager out of three elected has changed, and we have two new players. They are very responsible. Yesterday in agreement with the ATP, they decided to wait. We, on our part, had already set up a replacement program scheduling the semifinals for this morning. We were waiting, but the players told us, "We are ready to wait. We prefer to play tonight. We are on your side in playing the game with you." And then the miracle happened - the sky became clear. We have to congratulate them. People say that the players are selfish, that they only think about themselves. But what they did yesterday evening shows that if we have a good dialogue between the players and the tournament directors, there's no reason why we can't improve things at all levels. It's a good lesson for the rest of the season, and it has to encourage us to dialogue even more, to follow this direction because, of course, there are reforms to be accomplished. We went over 100,000 spectators once again. Also, thanks - we hadn't said that until now - to the improvement of the Court des Princes which was, for us, a considerable asset. During the past two years we've made all our efforts to improve that court in order to have a second big court for the tournament which was lacking. Of course there were major players having won a Grand Slam who were scheduled on Court No. 2 and Court No. 10, but we couldn't do otherwise. We went in the direction you journalists are looking for, which is to try to finish earlier, to make sure that the players are not tired at the end of the day. Because when you play very late in the evening here, it's cold, the muscles get tight - even more. And at the end of the week, the players have to pay for it. Maybe it's because Francis and I played tennis in the past, but we are very sensitive to those developments. In the locker rooms yesterday we discussed once again with the players for one hour exactly how to improve the Court des Princes. There is still progress to be made. And the more we become important, the more we have a responsibility towards the player because they are guaranteeing the show. After winning here two years ago, Kuerten told us, "Build a third stand on the Court des Princes. It will be better for the players and for the atmosphere." We remembered the lesson. Of course it takes a while before things can be done. Yesterday evening many new ideas came up in the locker rooms to improve the conditions of the game and the welcoming of the spectators. Everything is going in the right direction - because these things have to be done with the players because they are the raw material, which is essential in those tournaments. We are in charge of having the best possible organization for them.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: The prospects are always the same for us - to attract the players, the top players. In the past three years we saw that the best players who believe they can win are present. This year I didn't complain as much as the other years, because I know that Sampras and Agassi are on the other side and they believe they cannot win this tournament. This is the main reason they do not come. But what we have to do is make sure the young players feel good here. Of course this tournament has a good place in the calendar, it's an ideal moment because it's the opening of the clay court season, but it's also a delicate moment because they are coming out of two and a half months of great efforts. What we tried to set up this year - welcoming the players properly, creating the whole system, starting on Wednesday the week before the tournament, with the medical system, the whole logistics of the tournament, it made it possible for them to practice here, recuperate, get treatment for four or five days. This was essential. It was a request from the players also, and we worked in this direction. About the material prospects, next year, thanks to IMG, who retains the marketing rights for this event from now on, and thanks to the efforts of everybody, we will need to put our partnership level at a higher position. Otherwise, the situation will be more complicated to manage. I have absolutely no doubts about the fact that we are going to achieve it, because I can see the success of this tournament, and I can see that the television coverage has been a lot better than the former years. That's a good asset for the future. We have agreements for three years. I am going to stop right now any questions about having a tournament with women here and this and that. We are fine the way we are. We can't do better in a week like this one. On the other hand, we fought for our tournament and we obtained the unanimous support of all the European tournament directors present here in order to refuse a proposal from the American tournaments to delay the clay court season for one week, and to delay it in order to allow Indian Wells and Miami, who had television problems, to be played a week later. The answer was unanimously no for several reasons: First, because we had no reason in a very overloaded period to reduce the clay court season by one week. This would have endangered in a great part the health of the players given the fact that at the end of the season there's a Grand Slam. They would have had to play three Masters Series in four weeks, which is not a possibility; 18 matches in four weeks is above the strength of any normally-built player. I believe the players were invited to the meeting during which the decision had been made, and among them, Thomas Carbonel was very adamant about that. So the decision was made unanimously. We simply wish that the tour could be less overloaded. If we had a wish to be expressed - as I've been saying for two years and I have no doubts about the fact that we will achieve it some time - it would be to have nine days instead of seven days. Because if we had nine days, our tournament would be even better organized from the sports point of view because the players would be able to have rest days during that week, which they don't have today for those who start on Tuesday. And, it will allow us to increase our revenues. As we can see, if we had two weekends in the tournament, it would be better. All these ideas are long-term, but they are ideas we have to work on in conjunction with the players - working on the calendar - so that the major tournaments, the major rendezvous, be guaranteed to have the best participation of the players, and so that the tour be more understandable, more credible, and able to have a calendar which preserves the health of the players. There are major events, and they must be put on top of the rest, of course respecting the existing small tournaments. But we have to make the effort of giving a privilege to the major rendezvous.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: It's a good question, and he agrees (smiling). It's an effort, but we have to save the interests of everybody. Our interests today have not been preserved by the crisis we had to go through due to the ISL bankruptcy. On one side we had the money from ISL. And along with that, there was a substantial increase in prize money. Now we don't have ISL's money anymore, so we'll have to find a reasonable way to reduce the amount distributed by the Masters Series. That's the reason why between now and Wimbledon the ATP Board will meet twice to try to restructure all the Masters Series and also the other tournaments, with maybe a redistribution in the prize money. But in the calendar, there are also efforts to be made. The efforts started three years ago when we said that if a tournament came out of the calendar or had difficulties, the ATP, all the tournaments, and the players would buy out this tournament. The Bogota tournament had problems; The ATP bought it out. Now, we are not saying that we are going to buy out and suppress tournaments, but we need well-organized tours preserving the time for different surfaces, taking into account the Grand Slams which are a milestone, and they are reference points during the season. You have to preserve the jobs of the players. But if you increase the number of jobs in the Masters, you can reestablish the bounds. During weeks like in Miami, the players don't complain. They play, but one day out of two. So their health is protected. Many things have to be discussed. For the Toulouse tournament, my reasoning is to say, "If the big tournaments eat well, the small tournaments are healthy. If the big tournaments don't eat anymore, the small ones die." The little tournaments will not be able to make it if the major tournaments do not work very well.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: If it was that kind of bet, yes. But in Toulouse I am not in the same category, not the same week, and not on the same surface. But you can discuss with them some tournaments. In the proposal which was made to the ATP, there were tournaments which were disappearing in order to reduce the clay court season. We didn't accept it because we believe that the clay court has suffered during the past years and it shouldn't continue.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: I would like to be able to say no immediately, but within those $2,950,000, one part is attributed to the bonus which is $250,000 in exchange for the participation of the players in the Masters Series. Today, since the bonus will disappear since we no longer have the ISL guarantee, we can consider that the amount will not be the same the following years. On top of that, there's a share given to the doubles which is high because it represents $500,000 for a tournament like this one, plus all the linked costs. Now for such a tournament, there are 40 doubles, different from the singles players. There were 48 last year; therefore, we are going in the right direction. But we have to continue reducing that. We are in an economical decision which does not allow us to continue to maintain products which are not productive. Therefore, we will have to make efforts. That's why we suggested that the doubles draw be reduced by 50 percent, we have to make efforts in this direction. All the experiments in doubles were satisfying, but rather for the singles players than the doubles players - which I can understand. We have to take into account a major aspect which is that Francis and I, we are fighting so that doubles continue to exist. It's important for Davis Cup, for the education of a player, etc. We will have to find an acceptable format for the players. If we can reduce the amount for the tournaments by 5 or $600,000, we will live better, that's true. Otherwise, we will have enormous difficulties which no one wishes - neither the players, nor the organizers like us. Because if the major tournaments disappear, the small ones will disappear also. Even before the big ones.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: We cannot go that low.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: Between one million and three million, there's a fair average. One million is a shock.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: Yes, but it's a matter of supply and demand.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: Without betraying a secret, I'm talking under the control of the ATP representatives present here, in Indian Wells we had a meeting during which the tournament directors and the players expressed their point of view. There was a vote. The players explained to us they were elected to defend the interests of the players, and we said we were representing the interests of the tournaments. The ATP is a unique organization in professional sport. Our overall interest is to agree with each other. We don't want to clash or boycott. They're worth two or three. So at a certain stage, someone has to make a decision. Mark Miles has one vote, and he said, "I am asking you to think about it, and we're going to do it again in the spring and make proposals in Wimbledon. If you are still in opposition in September at the time when the decision will have to be made, I will take part in that vote." We all heard what he said, and we left saying, "We have work ahead of us." I understand the position of Gary Muller, of Carbonel. We have to walk along the same path together. It's a negotiation. We are representatives of the tournaments on the Board, we are former players, so we have no wish that things go wrong. This is certainly not my state of mind. Here we have exactly the same things - we want doubles, but we have to respect our possibilities and the show itself because, as you've seen, we have problems all the time. People say the scheduling is fantastic, the singles players are playing doubles also. But we never spent as much time as this week making the schedule for the next day. Because when singles players play doubles, like Safin, they want to choose their own time. They are all like him. Therefore, the scheduling becomes a real puzzle. But we are going to make it. I'm always positive. Therefore, I believe we are going to be able to have a good understanding with the players before the middle of this year.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: For this year we can say we broke even. We'll see next year, but this year it's okay.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: No.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: Yes, because we worked a lot. New partners arrived, you saw them on the court. They came to try it. Apparently, the contracts are for three years. We still have two years ahead of us. We are moderately optimistic. We've seen Patrick Proisy not long ago. He has very good contacts, and he says Monte-Carlo is well-placed to come up with good partners.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: Yes.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: No, it's not public (laughing). We are not used to giving figures. But it's true that in the agreement after ISL's bankruptcies there was a remaining amount that was granted to the tournament for the year 2002. As far as the economy of this tournament is concerned, Francis used to work in a bank - it's not our sponsor here, it's another bank. Therefore, he manages the accounts perfectly well. And the tournament was very cautious with the money. We always kept reserves which help us in a year like this one, a transition year in our mind, to overcome the problem without damage. There is, of course, this year the remaining amount from ISL, but this will not exist anymore in 2003, 2004 or 2005. So we have to develop new partnerships like Khalifa Airways, le Notre, etc. The renewing of the contract with Mercedes globally for the ATP is a very good sign; HSBC also. But we have to look for other sponsors and develop relationships. And then the brand "Tennis Masters Series," we can wonder whether it can exist, develop, and be sold to someone else to augment the products linked with that brand and the television products linked with its development. This is the direction that we must follow. Of course we would prefer, like American tournaments, to have a center court with 10,000 seats. Before the beginning of the tournament, we had sold out all the seats for Saturday and Sunday, which had never happened before. If we had a bigger center court, we would have sold the seats. You can see it every week - tennis works. Television audiences were the best in the beginning of the week compared to all the other agreements we had with the European countries. Therefore, we are confident. But also we are lucky enough to have - we often said that with Francis - French players who do well here. Because in Europe, if you want a successful tournament, your interest is to have local players. We can see it in Italy, in Germany, even in the press rooms there are less German journalists and less Italian journalists because there are less players from these countries. So we need the players also. Once again, it's on their shoulders. The "New Balls" campaign was a fantastic advertisement coup; the arrival of Gasquet was a very good thing for this tournament and for French tennis as a whole. We need new players.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: The idea that we have nine tournaments between the Grand Slams plus other tournaments, and the idea of creating a club of nine tournaments is a good concept, a good idea. This was done in the beginning globally. Then we realized that in an individualistic world like tennis, it was very difficult. Now the bonus doesn't exist anymore. So we will have to do readjustments regarding the commitments of the players to play nine tournaments. This will be part of the negotiations with the players. But I believe the brand exists in terms of television rights. The company which manages the Masters Series, which is Tennis Property Limited, created more money this year than ISL had ever created before. Terrestrial televisions came back, which is very important for the tennis audience in general and for the economic market. We have to fight for that. There are ongoing contracts which are working like Mercedes, like Penn. These are leader brands in their fields, and there's no reason why we couldn't develop this relationship. But we also have to work with ATP. We should not have an opposition like certain people try to do. We have to work together. Today the market imposes on us not to pull the rope on one side or the other. We have to work together. We started off again, and you see what happens with all sports with television - nothing is granted. You have to remain reasonable, and the economy of our tournaments has to become again reasonable.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: I don't know. You know there are so many ways of finding a way around the rules. I believe that if we were able to do what we have to do in those tournaments, if we distribute points and money, the players will not remain at home watching television during these weeks. The new generation will choose to play those tournaments rather than the others. This is the direction we have to follow. You should not impose yourself on the others systematically. Players like Agassi or Sampras, who do not come, have one-third of the bonus left. But what does it represent for them? Nothing. For us, it's enormous. But the young generation comes, and we will need to make the new calendar lighter. This is rather the kind of solution we will have to find.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: We made our best efforts to welcome as well as possible the players, to give them the maximum of possibilities outside of the tournament. Because the ATP headquarters are here, they come regularly. Some of them live in the Principality, so our wish is to welcome them as best as possible. The danger was in the mind of ISL, who wanted to reduce the tournaments to have less to share; instead of sharing among nine, it's better to share among seven. We fought back. We succeeded. We convinced. Now, we are well-settled - at least we hope so - because we never know about the future. But the general mobilization, including Prince Albert, helped us to remain alive and to prove we had our own place.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: Once again, the answer is the participation of the players. When you see what happened in the semis or the finals here during the past ten years, you find the answer. The best players are there and it's always the best who wins here, which is fabulous. We have a bit of luck. But this afternoon we will have two players on the court : One has won this tournament already once and the French Open; with him there will be Ferrero, who is one of the best clay court players. In Paris, who beat him besides Kuerten? So we have to fight on that. The other tournaments have the French players. On our part, for four years in a row we had a French player in the semis. This is also an asset. It's very important for us. We are lucky enough to have that. This combination of things means that we are on the right track. Also, this year we received an award, which means something. We never received an award before. There, we had several. Of course we are not going to call each other every morning and say, "How beautiful is our award?" But it helps in going forward. It's something that motivates our team. We have 9,000 children coming with buses of 50 people each from 14 French departments. They come from Haute Savoie and also from le Gars and les Pyrenees -Orientales. Today there's a corporate group from Toulouse. This is our strength. We have to fill the stadium, have people coming.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: We organized an operation with the Cote d'Azur Tennis League for the younger children less than 18 years old. We scheduled to have 500 children accompanied by an adult. In fact, now we have 1,000, and we refused 400. We are here all year long. Our wish is to work year-round on this tournament, which is different from other places where they say, "Well, the players are coming, you have to organize something and welcome them and make advertisements." We do basic work the whole year, which was started by Mr. Noat. And we continued that work with Patrice, so that people will not forget about the Monte-Carlo tournament. Since then, it's been working.

FRANCIS TRUCHI: We have two tennis teachers, Paolo Monte for Piemont, and Pino Fasco, who go all over the Italian Riviera right over to Genoa and even Florence. They go to the clubs to try to offer good prices for the tickets for the young players. Now to answer your question, last year we observed a decrease in the Italian public. Is it because of the crisis? I don't know. But we had six to eight percent less Italians. This year it's a bit early to say what the proportion is.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: Four successive surveys - because this year we did something different - showed that the Italian customers represented between 21 to 25 percent. And if this year we had been scheduled a week after, during Italian holidays, the figures would have been almost equal to the past.

PATRICE DOMINGUEZ: This year we observed there were many foreigners. We never had as many people in the public relations spaces. All the brands are represented. The major sportswear brands are in the Village. This is diversity. Excuse us, the Prince just arrived (laughing). We are going to give a tie to Miguel because it's an entirely Spanish final (applause)!