ATP poised to shorten tour from 2012
Source: Agencies |
October 16, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
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THE ATP Tour may shorten its 11-month season by two or three weeks from 2012 to give players more rest and help them avoid injuries and burnout.
"We are taking a good, hard look at our calendar to see if there is a meaningful way to lengthen the offseason that would allow players more time for rest, fitness and working on their game," spokeswoman Kate Gordon said yesterday.
The ATP is to finalize its proposed calendars for the 2012 and 2013 seasons at a series of board meetings in London during the World Tour Finals in November, but there will be no changes to next year's schedule.
"The 2011 calendar has already been approved and is essentially the same as this year," she added.
Some of the proposals being considered would shorten the calendar by two or three weeks.
"The issue of season length has been around for a long time and there is no quick fix, but we are committed to giving it real consideration," Gordon said.
Several top players are behind the appeal for a tour overhaul including world No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who sits with Nadal on the Players' Council.
The top players have advocated for a shorter tournament calendar for years.
Rafael Nadal, who admitted to being tired this week after playing three tournaments in a row and 16 overall this year, has suggested allowing the top players to stop playing after the final top-tier Masters events in the autumn and forgo late-season smaller tournaments without having to worry about giving up ranking points.
"The perfect schedule is if you have the chance to play and you have the chance not to play," he said at the Shanghai Rolex Masters this week.
Andy Roddick, too, has wanted longer offseasons for players.
Pretty upfront
"I've been pretty upfront with saying I think (the schedule) is too long," he said in Shanghai. "I think luckily our voices seem to be getting to the point where they're being heard."
With the showcase ATP World Tours Finals looming next month, concerns are mounting the field of qualifying eight leading players - Nadal, Murray and Djokovic among them - might not glow and promote the sport as they should after their exhaustive calendar obligations.
Nadal has also admitted this week his winning of four grand slams in a single season is beyond him.
His frankness had frowning reporters scratching pencils on their temples, wondering if he was also implying such a feat in the busy modern game is impossible for any man.
The benevolent champion said he was seeking change for the younger generation, ruling out any shake up during his career, even though the current calendar could come up for review in 2013.
"I just think allowing us to play and not play when we want is the better solution for all the players, not only for the top 10," Nadal has said.
"It's also much better for the lower ranked players. That's what I said the other day. [But] that's just dreaming," he said with a wry smile after his disappointing Shanghai dismissal.
Nadal was playing his third successive week of competitive tennis in Asia with earlier tournaments in Bangkok and Tokyo, securing the latter Japan Open title.
Some might query his judgment to overstretch his commitments, however, especially the disappointed Chinese fans brimming with Nadal adulation in the ATP's primary pioneering market. He was not under obligation to play the Thai and Japanese events.
But the generous appearance fees obviously triumphed over the need to pencil in some much needed rest and relaxation, a break where he could have perhaps lounged by a pool side and flicked through his English dictionary and end of year diary.
"We are taking a good, hard look at our calendar to see if there is a meaningful way to lengthen the offseason that would allow players more time for rest, fitness and working on their game," spokeswoman Kate Gordon said yesterday.
The ATP is to finalize its proposed calendars for the 2012 and 2013 seasons at a series of board meetings in London during the World Tour Finals in November, but there will be no changes to next year's schedule.
"The 2011 calendar has already been approved and is essentially the same as this year," she added.
Some of the proposals being considered would shorten the calendar by two or three weeks.
"The issue of season length has been around for a long time and there is no quick fix, but we are committed to giving it real consideration," Gordon said.
Several top players are behind the appeal for a tour overhaul including world No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who sits with Nadal on the Players' Council.
The top players have advocated for a shorter tournament calendar for years.
Rafael Nadal, who admitted to being tired this week after playing three tournaments in a row and 16 overall this year, has suggested allowing the top players to stop playing after the final top-tier Masters events in the autumn and forgo late-season smaller tournaments without having to worry about giving up ranking points.
"The perfect schedule is if you have the chance to play and you have the chance not to play," he said at the Shanghai Rolex Masters this week.
Andy Roddick, too, has wanted longer offseasons for players.
Pretty upfront
"I've been pretty upfront with saying I think (the schedule) is too long," he said in Shanghai. "I think luckily our voices seem to be getting to the point where they're being heard."
With the showcase ATP World Tours Finals looming next month, concerns are mounting the field of qualifying eight leading players - Nadal, Murray and Djokovic among them - might not glow and promote the sport as they should after their exhaustive calendar obligations.
Nadal has also admitted this week his winning of four grand slams in a single season is beyond him.
His frankness had frowning reporters scratching pencils on their temples, wondering if he was also implying such a feat in the busy modern game is impossible for any man.
The benevolent champion said he was seeking change for the younger generation, ruling out any shake up during his career, even though the current calendar could come up for review in 2013.
"I just think allowing us to play and not play when we want is the better solution for all the players, not only for the top 10," Nadal has said.
"It's also much better for the lower ranked players. That's what I said the other day. [But] that's just dreaming," he said with a wry smile after his disappointing Shanghai dismissal.
Nadal was playing his third successive week of competitive tennis in Asia with earlier tournaments in Bangkok and Tokyo, securing the latter Japan Open title.
Some might query his judgment to overstretch his commitments, however, especially the disappointed Chinese fans brimming with Nadal adulation in the ATP's primary pioneering market. He was not under obligation to play the Thai and Japanese events.
But the generous appearance fees obviously triumphed over the need to pencil in some much needed rest and relaxation, a break where he could have perhaps lounged by a pool side and flicked through his English dictionary and end of year diary.
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