ATP Chairman rips gamers who criticize tennis schedule

In an unique interview with L’Equipe, the ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi not directly attacked tennis gamers who’ve opposed the present seasonal schedule, reiterating that tennis gamers are impartial employees and might select which tournaments to take part in or not.

“We are not talking about soccer or basketball, where they are employees of a club. Our players are independent workers who can decide their own schedule. It is true, the rankings force them to play, but it depends above all on the most important tournaments: the Slams, the Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals.

We decided to extend the ATP Masters 1000, but with the new format, reaching the final you only play one more match than the old one. Also, some tennis players choose to play many exhibitions outside the circuit. Something that is not seen in other sports. The question is whether you want to invest in the circuit or outside the circuit,” defined Gaudenzi

The ATP Chairman’s response got here after complaints from many gamers in current weeks. For instance, Carlos Alcaraz was one of many gamers to speak brazenly in regards to the subject. The Spaniard, regardless of having chosen to take part in a number of exhibition occasions, believes that the matches scheduled in a single season are too many and that the majority accidents rely exactly on this pattern.

“They will kill us in some way. At this stage, many good tennis players risk losing their tournaments due to injuries. Sometimes it happens that I don’t want to go to a tournament: I must not lie, I have felt that way a few times. I don’t feel motivated at all,” Alcaraz advised us in the course of the Laver Cup.

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However not solely schedule points: in the identical interview, Gaudenzi additionally spoke about balls matter. Those who expressed adverse opinions on the balls used from week to week on a couple of event had been the Tour gamers, who don’t like the truth that these balls change too incessantly between one match and one other. The opposite large criticism considerations some technical traits.

Gaudenzi is aware of the issue very properly and hopes that the state of affairs can change beginning subsequent yr with a centralized administration.

“We made this decision last year and we will apply it progressively from 2025. For example, we will use the same ones from Monte Carlo to Rome. The centralization policy will not start with immediate effects on the entire circuit, as the tournaments have signed contracts with the producers and we will have to wait for them to be concluded. The Slam tournaments are excluded from all this, on which we have no say,” he defined.

Daniil Medvedev, particularly in current weeks, has gone into element expressing his harsh standpoint.

“Something has changed that is not my fault. What? The balls. This is one of the most important tournaments in the world – he said, referring to the Shanghai Rolex Masters – ed. – and the balls fall apart after five games. They are not good enough for professional tennis. There is absolutely no pressure. We play 30-shot rallies because it is almost impossible to hit a winner. With these balls you have to be 100% on every point, until the last point of the match,” mentioned the Russian.