The former world number two and current Indian Wells manager explained his feelings on the excessive wear and tear players are currently experiencing.
It is clear that one of the most difficult sporting calendars is tennis. They are already competing in the first week of January and finishing in November, with only a few weeks of rest before returning to training. This is why Tommy Haas spoke loud and clear. Changes are necessary, declared the former world number two, who subsequently proposed a revolutionary format.
“There are 63 tournaments, plus the four Grand Slams. I understand the conflict that exists, recovery times are short. They play until the end of November and around Christmas they start training again for Australia,” said the current director of Indian Wells in an interview with Tennis Magazine.
Haas also risks a radical change for the ATP, where he would leave the 250 tournaments out of the elite. “I would bet on the format of Formula 1: 20 very big tournaments, with men and women together. Each tournament lasts a week and a half in the best facilities in the world. Of course, regarding the four Grand Slam tournaments that exist and the current nine Masters 1000, but we have to look for new places where tennis has room to grow, where tennis can be even more popular,” he said. he said, also referring to the lack of global attention that some less important tournaments receive.
Of course, the German does not specify what would happen to the lowest ranked players, who will not be able to have access to the ATP 250 tournaments, forcing them to only play Challenger events to advance on the circuit.
What would this calendar look like with the current tournaments?
Although Haas did not create his idea, according to the current situation of the ATP, a possible schedule can be deduced around its rules. The year would begin with the Australian Open in January, then continue with three cement tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami and Acapulco. . It would then be time to move on to the clay court tour where South America would open the fire. There, Brazil would have a fixed place and Argentina and Chile should participate in the next event. Then they would move on to the European clay court tour where they would appear Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.
There could even be a mid-year break to return to the grass in June with Halle, Queen’s and Wimbledon. Finally, the year would end with six events on cement: Canada, Cincinnati, the US Open, Tokyo, Shanghai and Paris. If two to three tournaments per month are planned, the season would end in mid-October.
In addition, the players would be less on the field, a problem often repeated in the circuit’s press conferences. For example, Alcaraz has already played 16 tournaments, Tsitsipas 19 and Casper Ruud 20. Nicolás Jarry? 21 ATP events in 2023.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
