“They Just Do However They Want”: Milos Raonic Disappointed with French Open 2021 Over Prize Money Reduction

Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic has voiced his displeasure over a decision by the French Tennis Federation to significantly reduce the prize money for doubles at the French Open.

While the action at Roland-Garros, though delayed by a week this year, will see the return of spectators close to normal levels, the organizers have introduced a sour note to the bated anticipation of players and fans by reducing the prize money even further from the 2020 edition.

The doubles champions at this year’s French Open will get 580,000 Euros

With the sponsors citing pandemic woes and their coffers, too, taking a hit, the FFT had announced a prize money cut in the region of 10.93% at last year’s French Open.

While initially the tournament helmers had kept the prize money unchanged from 38 million Euros last year, latest reports suggest that it has been cut further to 34 million Euros this year.

What’s more, the organizers, while pledging to cater to the interests of lower-ranked players who have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, have had to reduce the prize money share in top brackets to accomplish the same.

The total prize money in singles this year is down to 32.6 million Euros and the winner will walk away with a check for 2.3 million Euros. For doubles, the total prize money is down to just 5.12 million Euros this year, with the champions taking home a check for just 580,000 Euros.

Milos Raonic claims the organizers have no regard for players

It’s the substantial cut in doubles which seems to have got Raonic’s goat. Not holding back, the Canadian has fired off a tweet, calling out the organizers for doing whatever they want.

“Disappointed by the FFT disregarding the doubles prize money and cutting them out significantly. They just do however they want. With no regard,” Raonic wrote.

The Canadian had earlier voiced his misgivings over the decision to delay the start of the French Open by a week.

Read More: French Open 2021 Once Again Reduce Their Prize Money

Claiming to have learned of the delay from Twitter, he accused the ATP of sitting on its hands and not bothering to intimate players on the change of scheduling which affected their plans for other tournaments.