People so worried about a Premier tour but how about we take a mid season break in April when it’s snowing in Europe, which isn’t ideal for tennis, and push the French back a month so they can get better weather and Wimbledon to August when everyone there is on holiday and the…
Roland Garros and Wimbledon should be moved a month with mid-season break installed says Mark Petchey after Munich snow storm
ATPFriday, 19 April 2024 at 15:15
Amid the threat of the so-called Premier Tour, respected coach and analyst Mark Petchey thinks that the issue is also to do with the current scheduling of tennis with calls to shift forward Roland Garros and Wimbledon and do away with tradition.
Reports suggest that a $1billion offer has been presented to the ATP by the Saudis with a breakaway/Premier Tour planned including an extra Masters 1000 in Riyadh. Elite players would focus on these tournaments and as a result the Grand Slams too have been scratching to keep their status and drum up their own proposal. That being a Premier Tour with only four core tournaments including the main Grand Slams and a team event replacing the Davis and Billie Jean King cups.
Lower ranking tournaments as is often the way would suffer. But Petchey sees a further issue than that in tennis after a snow storm halted play yesterday in Munich and weather has played its part even in Miami in recent weeks that the tennis tour should have a mid-season break and that Roland Garros and Wimbledon should shift as a result. A radical move no doubt but as is the Premier Tour.
A time certainly of change in tennis and one that every leading figure will throw their hat into. On the WTA side, it has been evident with the WTA Finals moving to Riyadh on a multi year deal and it is expected that further moves will be made.
“People so worried about a Premier Tour but how about we take a mid-season break in April when it’s snowing in Europe, which isn’t ideal for tennis,” said Andy Murray’s former coach Petchey on X.
“Push the French back a month so they can get better weather and Wimbledon to August when everyone there is on holiday and the better weather is around. Hypothermic fans and players aren’t a great look and the WTA wouldn’t have to have 2 indoor clay events.”
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