By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, April 4, 2025
Photo credit: ATP Tour
The ATP Tour is undergoing turnover at the top during a combustible time pitting some stars against the Tour.
The ATP today announces that Chief Executive Officer Massimo Calvelli will step down from his role at the end of June 2025.
As the search for his successor starts, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi will assume the dual role of Chairman and CEO on an interim basis.
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“Massimo has been a fantastic leader for the ATP,” Gaudenzi said. “His strategic focus and tireless work ethic were instrumental in navigating a complex period for our sport – one in which we’ve achieved unprecedented growth.
“I am deeply grateful for his leadership and contributions, and I wish him every success in the next chapter.”
Calvelli’s resignation concludes his five-year tenure.
The ATP credited Calvelli with playing “a pivotal role in guiding the organization through the challenges of the global pandemic and was instrumental in the development and execution of OneVision, ATP’s long-term strategic plan. Working closely with Gaudenzi, he oversaw transformative change across the ATP Tour, including a historic increase in player compensation – now more than $100 million higher in 2025 compared to 2019 – and record-breaking commercial growth.”
Despite the glowing ATP statement, player compensation remains a sticking point for some stars and is already escalating.
The ongoing imbroglio between the Novak Djokovic-led PTPA and the ATP and WTA reached a new level of acrimony last month as the PTPA filed a lawsuit against the ATP, WTA and ITF.
Olympic gold-medal champion Djokovic said the primary issue is players, particularly lower-ranked players, are not receiving an adequate piece of the revenue pie. Consequently, some lower-ranked players are forced out of the sport simply because they cannot afford the cost of global travel and coaching.
“Currently, there are not enough players [making a] living from this sport on the highest level, we are earning good money,” Djokovic told the media in Miami. “But the reason why I’ve been talking for years about the equal split of the pie, or increase of the prize money, is because of the grassroot levels.
“And the men and women, professional tennis players that are fighting to basically continue playing the sport. I know, personally, very big number of players that have left tennis, particularly during COVID time because of lack of funds. And so, I think I don’t know exactly nowadays, the number of players that are able to make a living from this sport?”
In an article published by the French sporting journal L’équipe reports the Top 20 players from the ATP and WTA Tour have signed a letter that demands a greater percentage of revenues from the four Grand Slams.
The players are demanding a substantial increase in prize money, citing the fact that they receive a significantly smaller percentage of revenues than other sporting leagues, such as the NBA (reportedly near 50 percent sharing).
Djokovic, who is friendly with ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi, brands the ATP broken and charge it “has failed players so many times.”
In short, the PTPA has long wanted a seat at the decision-making table and the ATP has shown the group the door. Djokovic charged the Tour continues to mute the voices of players and points to lack of wide-spread consultation with players.
“It’s the council of ATP that is within the structure, this representing body of players, and that’s how it’s been for decades,” Djokovic said before the 2024 Wimbledon. “I don’t think that’s the best system that we have. I just think the system has failed players so many times, so many times, and that’s the reason why PTPA needs to exist, because when it comes down to this kind of big decisions, you know, a lot of the players’ voices are not heard enough.
“Unfortunately, you know, within ATP you have 50/50 percent of representation between players and tournaments. So you are never going to have 100 percent players’ interest in place.”
