Elena Rybakina after beating Daria Kasatkina in Montreal at 3 in the morning: “I’m destroyed guys. Thank you for staying so late. It’s really amazing you supported us..” Crowd goes WILD. Match of the tournament.
New ATP and WTA scheduling rule changes made after player complaints during 2023 season with review into tennis balls also underway
Tennis NewsTuesday, 09 January 2024 at 23:00
The ATP and
WTA are set to change the regulations to address issues with tournament
schedules, and they will also evaluate ball changes in each tournament
following complaints from several players throughout the 2023 season.
Firstly,
there is now a limit of no more than five matches per day per court, starting
at 11 a.m. Three matches will be scheduled during the daytime session, while
the nighttime session will consist of two matches.
Some
players who experienced problems with the schedules and openly expressed their
dissatisfaction include 3-times Grand Slam champion Andy Murray, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and the world No. 3, Elena Rybakina. It is emphasized that no match can start after 11
p.m., unless approved by the WTA/ATP supervisor in consultation with the
management of both organizations. Matches that have not started by 10:30 p.m.
will be moved to an alternate court, ensuring adherence to the schedule.
Furthermore,
nighttime sessions must now begin no later than 7:30 p.m., with a
recommendation to start as early as 6:30 p.m. This is intended to offer a more
player- and spectator-friendly schedule, optimizing the overall tournament
experience. Regarding tennis balls, a strategic review of those used in the
circuits is underway, and any resulting changes will be implemented no later
than 2025.
Players who complained about the regulations
At the
beginning of the year, Andy Murray emerged victorious in an epic match against
Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the Australian Open, concluding with
a scoreline of 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 at 4:05 a.m., after five hours and 45
minutes. Following the match, the former world No. 1 expressed his discontent
with the schedule, stating, "We talk about it all the time, and it's been
spoken about for years. But when you start the night matches late and have
conditions like that, these things are going to happen."
On another
note, Rybakina competed in the August Canadian Open against Daria Kasatkina,
engaging in a marathon match that lasted three hours and 27 minutes, concluding
at 2:55 a.m. "I feel destroyed," Rybakina said, "just because of
the scheduling and the situation."
During her
participation in the Madrid Open, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek also voiced her
opposition to the schedules, asserting, "For sure it’s not healthy to play
at that hour, and it’s something we should totally work on because we’re going
to have more and more players that are burned out and having physical
problems," she says.
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