MADRID, 11 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The ATP Retirement Plan has experienced record growth in 2024 that has allowed it to support more than 300 tennis players, after 135 more players joined it last year.
The total number of players who meet the requirements and accessed the plan in 2024 practically doubled, going from 165 to around 300. Player Advisory Council member Matthew Ebden stressed that all tennis players “should be aware of the plan” from the early stages of their careers.
“It has to be when they are young, even when they are starting out on the circuit, because they can start accumulating those pension years from the beginning of their career. It is something they should do. All those years of work and commitment will pay off in their pension and plan retirement once they finish their careers,” he noted.
In 2024, 26.3 million dollars -25.6 million euros- were invested in the fund, up from 18.7 million dollars -18.2 million euros- in 2023. The fund’s total assets exceed 300 million dollars -292 million euros-.
The number of players benefiting from contributions has reached record figures, with the introduction of a Level 1 and Level 2 system in 2024. The 200 players who are part of Level 1 will receive $121,500 -118,480 euros- each, while the 100 Players integrated into Level 200 receive 20,000 dollars -19,503 euros-.
With a growing number of tennis players completing one year of service, there are also more players accessing payments from the Retirement Plan, formally established in 1990. With current figures, it is estimated that a Level 1 player with five years of service could receive payments monthly annually of between 12,000 and 15,000 dollars – between 11,700 and 14,600 euros -, for a period of 20 years from when they turn 50 years old.
Historically, players needed five years of service to invest in the plan and be able to access payments once they turned 50. In 2018, a partial vesting component was created for players who have served for three years.
“It is a plan that has been growing year after year. It is something that ATP has taken very seriously, seeking its expansion. In the last two years it has managed to reach more players than ever, reaching 300 tennis players. It is a plan of pensions and something that all players should benefit from,” concluded Ebden.