Top tennis players such as Tim Henman and Pete Sampras could see
their prize money from international events reduced if the sport's
governing body fails to attract new sponsors.
The Association of Tennis Professionals, which was hit last year by the
collapse of its sports marketing agency ISL, is seeking backers for a
number of ATP Tennis Masters Series events. These include the world's
top tournaments outside the four Grand Slams.
The commercial rights to Masters Series events are now handled by the
individual tournament organisers. Sports industry sources believe that
without the clout of an agency such as ISL it will be harder to find
sponsors.
A decline in sponsorship revenues would be likely to have an impact on
the money players can earn from the events.
Sponsors for last year's series included Ericsson, which backed the
Miami event, and Mercedes-Benz, the main series sponsor. The car
manufacturer's estimated £9m deal expires at the end of the year
and it has not yet renewed the agreement.
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