Where has the money gone?
When Oliver Tarvet revealed that he would be unable to accept the vast majority of the £99,000 in prize money he earned for reaching the second round here because, as a US college student, he is still an amateur, the fairness of the rules was widely questioned. But what happens to that money, now that Tarvet can’t accept it? Just because Tarvet can’t take it, Wimbledon can’t just give it to charity, for example. Contrary to popular suggestion, the cash does not get put into a fund for a lavish staff Christmas party at the All England Club. Instead, it goes back into the overall pot and will form part of the surplus profit from the Championships, 90% of which will be handed to the LTA. Last year, the LTA received £50.4m in total from Wimbledon, so Tarvet’s decision to stay on at college means British tennis will benefit even more than usual.
