Tennis: "I'm not afraid of the full ATP and WTA merger" (Steve Simon, Women's Tennis Association)

"I'm not afraid of the full merger (between the ATP and WTA); I never have been. I would certainly be the first to support it, because I think then you truly have the business and the strategic principles all aligned, which is what you need to do. Obviously it’s a long and winding road to get there, but I think it makes all the sense in the world," said Steve Simon, chief executive of the Women's Tennis Association, to the New York Times on 05/05/2020.

"It's not an acquisition. This isn't about either tour taking territory. We compete for fans, partners, sponsorships as well as broadcast and data, so the alignment allows you to aggregate assets," said Steve Simon, who echoed the proposals on the subject by Swiss tennis player Roger Federer and the president of the Association of Tennis Professionals Andrea Gaudenzi (see below).

"This isn't about trying to save the WTA. We'll be fine, but look, if we're going to do the right business thing and we're finally going to bring the sport together, I think the WTA would be very supportive of this concept. This is a unique time. Crisis…