Jamie Murray has warned the ATP against chasing the money when picking a host after the O2’s ATP Finals deal ends in 2020.
The bidding process began in August, with London still in the reckoning for a potential new deal, but with no shortage of wealthy suitors to take over.
But Murray, bidding to win the doubles crown at the finals for the first time in his career with partner Bruno Soares, advised the ATP to look at the bigger picture when weighing up a new host.
“It’s obviously tough for the ATP to give up what they have in London and I’m sure they’ll be doing all their usual due diligence,” said Murray of the event which is expected to have another quarter of a million people through the turnstiles from Sunday.
“The tournament has been so well supported and that’s not always the case in other parts of the world. And it certainly doesn’t look good for the sport if the Finals, the ATP’s biggest event on the tour, with the eight best players in the world taking part, and there there’s 50 people watching in the stands.”
