Tennis legend criticizes Australian Open over – Sports News
Tennis legend Mark Philippoussis has advocated for ball children to obtain cost on the Australian Open. This yr’s competitors has witnessed a number of cases of ballkids affected by the Melbourne heat, sparking calls for for these volunteers to be compensated for his or her work.
Additional incidents of younger volunteers feeling sick have occurred, together with in a qualifier between Luca van Assche and Moez Echargui and during a blended doubles recreation. Australian tennis icon Philippoussis, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, has urged event organizers to implement modifications. It comes after Aryna Sabalenka clashed with an umpire over a controversial call.
Discussing the prospect of paying ballkids, Philippoussis said: “Why not? Give them some pocket money. It’s a great opportunity for these kids to get out there and enjoy the atmosphere, to walk around, to watch some matches.
“But I do know that this event spends a lot of money to make sure everybody’s completely satisfied.”
Wimbledon pays ballkids approximately $275 for their work during the two-week summer tournament. Meanwhile, the Australian Open will distribute a total of $7.9 million in prize money during the event, representing a 16 per cent increase from last year.
However, Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley has defended the practice of not paying ballkids.
“It’s not a easy reply as yes or no, as a result of there’s a lot of labour-related challenges that you have to think about in it,” Tiley said. “But the ballkids receives a commission in lieu of money in different methods, by way of tickets and transport and protecting prices of food and all these issues and gifting.”
Former Australian tennis player Alicia Molik has also spoken in support of keeping ballkids unpaid. The 45-year-old, who reached world No. 8 in singles and won two Grand Slam doubles titles, believes the experience remains valuable, despite working without payment.
“I simply suppose it is a great alternative for the children, irrespective,” she said. “It’s a great factor to have in your CV, is not it? The truth that you have labored on the Australian Open.”
The event is scheduled to conclude this weekend. The ladies’s singles last will happen on Saturday, with the lads’s championship match taking place on Sunday.
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