Just a quick note on the "Challenger Facts" at the bottom of the linked story. Harman reckons the minimum winner's cheque on the Challenger tour is $25,000. Even the winner in Mons this week in the biggest event of the year barely gets that.

Surely Harman, supposedly a very knowledgeable tennis reporter knows that the value of the tournament is the entire prize fund and not that of the winner.??

I agree with Madeline....I think a lot of people have no idea how much tennis players make. The average minor league baseball player over here makes a lot more than many tennis pros ranked in the top 200 in the world. I bet there are tons of people who think that in a 15K event the winner gets 15k instead of 15k being shared throughout the field. It is shocking, but I wonder if Harman even knows.

I thought it was odd, he is one of the better tennis writers in my opinion. That would explain it.

Has to be said, inflation does not really affect futures/challenger earnings either-they stay the same year on year.

Really, the ITF/ATP should insist on a revamp such that 10K=>15K, 15=>22.5 etc.-the players are getting less in effect each year. With the US dollar being so weak must add to European players woes, winning a 10K is US 1200, = 600 pound for a week's work. But only one person can get that much.....