Wimbledon Showdown

The growing popularity of professional tennis has intensified the battle between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and its national affiliates on one side, and an army of promoters, agents and sponsors on the other. Last year a petty jurisdictional dispute kept some of the best men players out of the All England Championships at Wimbledon. Caught in the middle, 40 of the world's top male competitors formed the Association of Tennis Professionals for self-protection. "We are not looking for a power struggle," A.T.P. President Cliff Drysdale said at the time. "However, I shall be surprised if the I.L.T.F. does not confront us head on over some issue before long."

That confrontation came last week. The result was unprecedented: a threatened player boycott of Wimbledon, the prestigious British tournament scheduled to begin this week.

As usual, a minor conflict served to mask a power showdown. The catalyst was Nikki Pilic, the flamboyant Yugoslav star who was suspended by his national association for not living up to a purported commitment to represent his country in Davis Cup competition. "There is no problem," said Pilic. "The president of the Yugoslav association is my uncle." But the uncle was adamant, despite Pilic's pleas that he had never agreed to play. Then the I.L.T.F rashly involved the entire tennis world in what was essentially a family affair. It suspended Pilic until July 1, forcing him to miss Wimbledon.

The A.T.P., now grown to 96 members, tried a legal counterattack, but a British court ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the case. So the players' group, which includes such U.S. competitors as Arthur Ashe, Cliff Richey and Stan Smith, decided that it had to stand on its own. After a three-hour meeting in London's Westbury Hotel, Drysdale announced: "This is the saddest statement I have ever had to make, but we feel we have no choice but to instruct our members to withdraw." After another meeting--which A.T.P. Executive Director Jack Kramer characterized as "wrestling with our conscience"--the decision was reaffirmed. At week's end, at least 75 of the men players were planning to honor the boycott. Rumania's Hie Nastase was one of the few male stars remaining in the tournament. "None of us wants to walk out on Wimbledon," said Australia's John Newcombe. "It means so much to us -to me, if I could win it a fourth time. But if we back down, then the I.L.T.F will have succeeded in breaking our union. It's us or them."

While that deadlock persisted, a new threat arose. Billie Jean King, a longtime advocate of larger purses for women, considered trying to organize the women players to hold out for equal prizes (the men share $70,500 at Wimbledon, v. $50,500 for the women). That idea fizzled, however. Rather than equal pay, the women will receive a bonus of attention. The men's competition may be crippled, but for the first time this year, the Big Four of women's tennis--Australia's Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong and the U.S.'s King and Chris Evert will be making a joint appearance. They could not have timed the reunion better to further boost women's tennis.

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