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The Association of Tennis Professionals is the governing
body of the men's game. It stunned
the chairmen of the four Grand Slam
championships with a demand for additional payments
totalling 50 million dollars.
The largest portion would go into the players'
pockets, but the package
included payments into a players' pension account, better promotional
activities, a bonus for players who compete in all four
Grand Slams and a donation to selected charities. The ATP wants
at least 30 percent of the profits in prize money.
The Grand Slam chairmen have rejected the demand and re-affirmed
its rights to determine the levels of compensation.
Most of the profits are used to promote tennis at
the grass roots. The Grand Slam Committee can also point
to the fact that the French Open paid almost 8 percent more in
prize money this year for the men's singles event while the Wimbledon
increase is almost 10 percent at a time when television
revenues are falling.
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governing body: here, the committee
which makes and enforces the rules which control a group of professional
people
stunned: shocked
Grand Slam Championships: competitions
in which you have to winn all the games or matches to become the
final winner
player's pockets: here, would be
paid directly to them
the package: all aspects of the
offer
promotional activities: things
done in order to make the game more popular
re-affirmed: if you reaffirm something, you state it
again
compensation: here, payment for
playing
at the grass roots: the grass
roots of an organisation are the ordinary people in it rather
than its leaders
television revenues: money that
television companies pay for the rights to transmit pictures
of the games
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