Which superstar will Austrian tennis fans see next to Dominic Thiem in Vienna in autumn? Head of the tournament Herwig Straka negotiated hard in Madrid.
Rafael Nadal does not do things by halves – and knows his market value. Herwig Straka, the organiser of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Vienna’s Stadthalle, was aware of this even before negotiations started on the world ranking list’s first until Monday in autumn 2018. And so, according to media reports, Nadal has called for one million euros as an inaugural money, often in connection with a two-year commitment to Vienna. The decision will be made after the French Open.
Also under discussion is Novak Djokovic, who could count on the support of numerous compatriots from Serbia in the Austrian capital. However, a simultaneous commitment by Nadal and Djokovic seems impossible – especially as Straka has already invested in other players: Hyeon Chung and Kei Nishikori.
“We need fresh money – and Asia is a big market,” Straka explained in a telephone interview in Madrid. “If Nadal was playing, we would certainly exceed the €4 million budget limit we set ourselves for players.”
Last year Lucas Pouille had won against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final at the Stadthalle in Vienna. In 2015 Andy Murray won the title. The Scot is also considered a candidate for the next appearance in 2018.