'INCREASED PRIZE MONEY HAS DOWNSIDE': FORMER TOP-10 STAR ISSUES WARNING TO PLAYERS

Germany's Andrea Petkovic has immersed herself in the tennis media landscape. (Getty/Andreas Rentz)

Former player turned commentator Andrea Petkovic has dealt a warning to current players seeking a boost in prize money, citing "increased loneliness" as a key issue.

In March, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), a players' union led by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, filed a lawsuit against major governing bodies such as the ATP and WTA for inequality and mistreatment.

Almost all the top-20 players from the men's and women's tours signed a letter demanding a bigger piece of the pie in relation to the allocation of prize money.

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Petkovic, a former world No.9, has argued that players should be careful about what they wish for, as she recollected her experiences.

"While the beginning of my career, we still shared coaches and travelled in groups with other players, slept three in a room to save money, stole ham and cheese from breakfast buffets and formed friendships for life, the growth of team sizes has also increased loneliness on the tours. The people you pay are not your friends. I repeat: the people you pay are not your friends. It may seem like that, and you may end up being friends, but as long as there is a salary power dynamic at play, there is no equality, and a friendship is not a true friendship unless there is equality," she said.

"When players travel with physiotherapists, coaches, psychologists and fitness trainers, they are surrounded by people they pay who occupy the space of a potential real friendship. A friendship where your friend doesn't have to worry about losing their job if they tell you that skirt looks awful on you."

In saying that, the 37-year-old admitted that financial increases have seen talent levels soar, resulting in a larger pool of depth since her playing days.

"The greatest advancement in tennis has probably been the depth of quality," Petkovic noted. "In my first five or six years on the circuit, I could usually win at least two rounds in major tournaments, even when far from my best level. I was tough and fit, and in most matches, that was enough. However, over the years, things changed radically, especially on the women's side. Cash prizes increased, and with them, professionalism."

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