"Amateur tennis stinks—there's no money in it any more." With this overhead smash, 21-year-old Frank Kovacs, second-ranking tennist in the U.S., turned pro last week. So did 23-year-old Bobby Riggs, U.S. No. 1. For 22 weeks, starting Dec. 26 in Manhattan's Madison Square Garden, Riggs and Kovacs will barnstorm 80 U.S. cities—along with Oldtimers Don Budge and Fred Perry.
Promoter of this year's tour is Yaleman ('36) Alexis Thompson, heir to a $5,000,000 steel fortune. To professional tennis he has brought a sound innovation. In addition to a flat guarantee, each of the four players will be paid according to his performance. The player winning the most matches will get 36% of the players' share of the gate receipts. The second ranking player will get 28%; the third, 21%; the fourth, 15%. "The No. 1 player should earn around $40,000," says Angel Thompson, "the No. 4 player around