Outgoing Wimbledon chief executive Ian Ritchie has defended the prize money given to players at the grand slam tournaments.
Along with the length and make-up of the tennis schedule, the percentage of prize money given to players has been a major complaint among the leading male players in particular, with a strike even mooted.
They believe the figure, which is reported to be less than 15 per cent of total revenue, undervalues them compared to other sports, but Ritchie cited the increase in prize money at Wimbledon in recent years as evidence the players are being listened to.
He said: 'If there are things that need to be addressed, the team here will address them. The record here has been a good one. It's not as if we've been parsimonious. The rises have been well, well over inflation.
'Do I think the players should get appropriate compensation? Of course I do. Hopefully we try here to show how important the players are. We try to look after them. They do appreciate that this is a tennis club.
'When I started in 2005, the champion earned £630,000 and last year the winner received £1.1million.'
Ritchie, meanwhile, confirmed he was approached about succeeding Adam Helfant as executive chairman and president of the ATP, a job that eventually went to Brad Drewett.
Ritchie, who will leave the All England Club next month to take over as chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, explained things did not get further than an informal approach, which he subsequently declined.
'I had a conversation with a couple of the players about it,' he said. 'I was flattered that they even thought that it was a possibility that I could do it.
'I have the highest regard for them and I'm always very conscious of the fact that I'm the bloke in the suit. My speed about the court does not rival theirs.
'So for the slightly overweight bloke in a suit to be asked, 'Will you think about it?', I took that as extremely flattering, but it wasn't the right thing for me.'