Madrid (Spain) – The increase in the duration of level 1000 tournaments, from one week to ten days of competition, has not been very well received by tennis players. Over the last week in Madrid, there were many complaints from players regarding this measure, most of them reinforcing dissatisfaction with the already intense and extensive current calendar.
For athletes like Russian Andrey Rublev and French Caroline Garcia, promoting a longer interval between matches may not be the best solution for events that in recent years have received a lot of criticism for ending rounds in the early hours of the morning.
“In the week that we are here [em Madri], I only played two games. Everything happens very slowly. You don’t do many things, you wait all the time. This format is a little frustrating. Maybe there are people who identify with this, but I haven’t found anyone who does yet,” said Garcia, who was eliminated in the third round of the competition.
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Corroborating the Frenchwoman’s statement, Rublev also doesn’t like the feeling of spending more time than necessary competing in a tournament. For him, the rest time between one event and another is crucial, especially for the mental aspect. “Now it seems like we are resting more between matches, but it took us four weeks to play two tournaments like Madrid and Rome. Mentally it’s a little more difficult, and then you don’t spend as much time at home and have less time to recover”, pointed out the number 8 in the world, who is qualified for the semi-finals on clay in Madrid.
Still according to the Russian, athletes should be heard more before the ATP and WTA make this type of change. “I think they should listen to what all the players think and take into consideration the average of what we want with what is best for the spectators, so that they can decide something, as they are often acting without asking anyone”, he suggested.
Main female names also give an opinion
Within the current WTA top 4, three names took a stance regarding this situation. While the leader and vice-leader of the ranking, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, have a considered opinion, fourth place, Elena Rybakina, reinforced the chorus against the extension of the tournaments.
“I think these tournaments that have become so long don’t help much, I would say. It might make sense for Indian Wells and Miami to be that long, but doing it in these two events [Roma e Madri], just before Roland Garros, is not good. With the new rules there is no room for choice, we are forced to compete in many tournaments. We are going in the wrong direction, there is a lot to improve on the circuit”, said Rybakina.
“If you are in shape, you will play every day and the tournament will be over. But staying in the same place for almost two weeks, it’s not like you’re done and going to rest. You leave a tournament and play another mandatory one right after. This is definitely not making things easier,” the Kazakh added.
In a more measured tone, Swiatek made some considerations, highlighting that mentally it is more difficult to face two weeks of competition. “When you have a day off, it helps a lot to recover physically for the next match, but mentally you need to be prepared for these long tournaments without actually having days off, because even when we have a day without a match, we usually go to the court , we train, we see all the people, we eat the same food. So it’s not like you can totally switch off,” he explained.
In turn, Aryna Sabalenka adopted a position similar to that of the Polish woman, showing that there will always be two sides of the coin. “I personally prefer to have a day off, because physically it is better, but I understand that a two-week tournament is a bit long and takes a lot of time,” said the current two-time Australian Open champion.
Djokovic says it’s all a matter of point of view
Although he did not go to Madrid this year, Serbian Novak Djokovic is another player who has previously expressed his opinion on the matter and was against the extension of the Masters 1000. For the number 1 in the world, it is possible to have different points of view, based on priorities of each one.
“Personally, I’m not a fan [da ideia]. Now we will have eight of the nine events in the 1000 series spanning almost two weeks. Like I said, it depends on which perspective you’re looking at. If you are a fan, of course an extra day seeing the best players is great because you have more tennis in your city. I understand from that point of view”, he begins.
“On the other hand, it depends a lot on what you value most as a player, what your goals are. For me, [o maior objetivo no saibro] It’s Roland Garros, for sure. I’m trying to do everything in terms of scheduling so I can play my best there. I have some experience over the years and I know what I need to do with my team to reach my peak in the Grand Slams, because these are the most important tournaments for me”, admits Nole.
Finally, the Serb avoided talking about the financial aspect of the measures imposed by ATP and WTA, highlighting that the increase in brackets provides opportunities for more tennis players to participate in major tournaments. “I don’t want to get into financial issues, that’s a completely different discussion. We can spend all day talking about this, but it really matters more from which perspective you look at it. The positive side is that you are giving more players the opportunity to be in the main draw,” he pointed out.
