After a number of gamers voiced their issues in 2023, the WTA and ATP introduced new guidelines Tuesday to cut back the variety of late-night matches at tour occasions.
Citing a rise within the common match size, the organizations stated matches ending after midnight had “risen significantly in recent times, negatively impacting gamers and followers.”
In consequence, the WTA and ATP in a joint assertion stated they may started implementing adjustments beginning in January, together with limiting the variety of matches per court docket to 5, not permitting matches to go on court docket after 11 p.m. until accredited by a supervisor, and shifting matches to an alternate court docket that had not begun earlier than 10:30 p.m. Evening periods can’t start after 7:30 p.m., with a beneficial 6:30 p.m. begin time.
The foundations are being applied on a trial foundation during the season and will likely be reevaluated on the yr’s finish.
Additionally following complaints from gamers in regards to the differing tennis balls used at tournaments, the WTA and ATP introduced there can be a strategic overview. Particular person tournaments are allowed to make use of the ball of their selecting, which has resulted in quite a lot of manufacturers and varieties of balls getting used.
Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Marketa Vondrousova and Stan Wawrinka have been amongst those that spoke up in regards to the subject in 2023.
Fritz posted on social media in September that he’d been coping with wrist points for the reason that begin of the US Open collection on account of ball adjustments, writing “we went 3 completely different balls in 3 weeks.”
The assertion stated the purpose was to “transfer in direction of a extra constant and centralized method by WTA and ATP” and to “ship higher ball consistency inside match swings for gamers.”
A timeline for the ball overview was not included.
“Match scheduling and tennis balls are each precedence subjects on our agenda, along with the WTA,” ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi stated within the assertion. “It is crucial that we evolve and adapt to the calls for of the trendy recreation, significantly the place participant well being and fan expertise are involved. We’re optimistic in regards to the impression we are able to make on each these fronts, now and in the long run.”
