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ATP considering longer offseason as of 2012
Source: Agencies |
September 10, 2010, Friday
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THE head of the men's tennis tour said he expects a decision soon on proposals to increase the ATP offseason from five weeks to seven or eight by 2012.
ATP chief executive Adam Helfant wants a "formal decision" no later than at the last board meeting of this year, at the November 14-21 season-ending tournament in London.
"There's never unanimity in tennis, but I think there is consensus that we need to do something about it," ATP chief executive Adam Helfant said. "And even though this is something that's been talked about for a long time, and we haven't made progress, there is a commitment to make progress on it by the end of the year."
Helfant said there have been no talks with the Australian Open about moving it from January. The top players have complained for years about the sport's calendar and called for a shorter season.
"I don't think it's a matter of opinion," former world No. 1 Andy Roddick said last month. "When you ask someone, 'Is the schedule too long?' The schedule is too long. I mean, that's not really an opinion."
Roddick's recent drop to No. 11 meant that for the first time in the 37-year history of the rankings, there were no US men in the top 10.
But Helfant said that whatever problems American men have been having are not hurting the tour in the US. He cited several positives, including an increase of about 3 percent in attendance at the tour's events in the United States, a jump of about 20 percent in TV broadcasting hours, and ATP's new global sponsorship deal with FedEx.
"I can understand why Americans would be concerned because they've gotten used to having guys dominate the top 10 ... but the game is global and the biggest problem Americans have is how play has developed outside the US," Helfant said. "I don't think I have anxiety about it."
ATP chief executive Adam Helfant wants a "formal decision" no later than at the last board meeting of this year, at the November 14-21 season-ending tournament in London.
"There's never unanimity in tennis, but I think there is consensus that we need to do something about it," ATP chief executive Adam Helfant said. "And even though this is something that's been talked about for a long time, and we haven't made progress, there is a commitment to make progress on it by the end of the year."
Helfant said there have been no talks with the Australian Open about moving it from January. The top players have complained for years about the sport's calendar and called for a shorter season.
"I don't think it's a matter of opinion," former world No. 1 Andy Roddick said last month. "When you ask someone, 'Is the schedule too long?' The schedule is too long. I mean, that's not really an opinion."
Roddick's recent drop to No. 11 meant that for the first time in the 37-year history of the rankings, there were no US men in the top 10.
But Helfant said that whatever problems American men have been having are not hurting the tour in the US. He cited several positives, including an increase of about 3 percent in attendance at the tour's events in the United States, a jump of about 20 percent in TV broadcasting hours, and ATP's new global sponsorship deal with FedEx.
"I can understand why Americans would be concerned because they've gotten used to having guys dominate the top 10 ... but the game is global and the biggest problem Americans have is how play has developed outside the US," Helfant said. "I don't think I have anxiety about it."
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