As the Tennis season draws to a close, the extension of the duration of the Masters 1000 is causing discussion. These tournaments – the most important on the circuit after those of the Grand Slam -, spent for the most part from one week to two, “have become a chore”, said Stefanos Tsitsipas, 12th player in the world, on Thursday. “Players are not getting the necessary recovery or training time, and the quality of play has dropped,” he added.
Already in October, French number 1 Ugo Humbert, who has since reached a final at this level for the first time at the Paris Rolex Masters, had accused the ATP of “never” going in the direction of the players. “The biggest bullshit is to have put the Masters 1000 over two weeks,” he said in an interview with the media Tennis Majors. “They tell us that we earn more money but that is not true, we have twice as many costs” due to the longer stay on site. And “there are a lot more guys who get injured”, regretted the left-hander from Metz.
Monte-Carlo and Paris, the last survivors
Organized in March, the first two Masters 1000 of the season (Indian Wells and Miami) have long been spread over two weeks. But what was an exception is becoming the norm, with the extension to 12 days of competition of the Masters 1000 in Rome, Madrid and Shanghai since 2023 and that planned for 2025 of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and Canada. Soon there will only be Monte-Carlo and Bercy competing over a single week.
In an assessment of these developments presented at the beginning of October, the ATP assured that the lengthening of these tournaments made it possible to bring more players into the tables (96 instead of 56), to increase their remuneration and to improve the spectator experience. “Larger draws bring more money to more players, in line with the ATP's objective of increasing the number of players who can make a decent living from tennis,” argued the body.
Tsitsipas caught by the patrol
Stefanos Tsitsipas' position made Stan Wawrinka laugh in any case. In response to the Greek's tweet, the winner of Roland-Garros 2015 published a promotional video dating from 2022, in which he spoke with ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi on the benefits of this reform.
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A little dig welcomed by some players, like the Frenchman Lucas Pouille. We haven't finished talking about calendars in the world of sport.
