In it Paris Masters 1000 2023, one of the last events of last season, experienced something unprecedented. Jannik Sinner He reached the round of 16 by beating the American in three sets Mackenzie McDonald in a meeting that lasted two hours and 18 minutes that ended after 2:30 in the morning. That late closing led the Italian, number one in the world, to withdraw before his next match for not having enough time to recover and ignited controversy.
This situation, increasingly frequent in recent years, ended up convincing the ATP that it was time for a change and the organization that governs the men’s circuit, in collaboration with the WTA, announced this Tuesday “new programming rules” of the tournaments, to try to prevent that from happening again.
One of the most notable changes has to do with the start time of the night duels. According to the two organizations, no match will start after 11pm local time, except for some exceptions that must be studied by the supervisors and referees of the event. If that rule had been in effect last year, Sinner, for example, wouldn’t even have taken the field, since his clash with McDonald began after midnight.
Among the other measures, No more than five matches per day may be scheduled on the same court. and only two in the night sessions, which should start at 7:30 p.m. at the latest (although it is recommended to do so at 6:30 p.m.). In addition, matches that have not started at 10:30 p.m. will be relocated to an alternative court so as not to break that new start time limit.
The statement explains that, in exceptional circumstances, a tournament could request exceptions according to cultural tradition, weather conditions or any other situation, which will be evaluated by the organization.
The new rules will be implemented in 2024 and will be “on trial” for a year.
“Match scheduling was high on our agenda. It is imperative that we evolve and adapt to the demands of the modern game, particularly as it relates to player health and fan experience,” he said. Andrea Gaudenzipresident of the ATP.
“These initiatives will allow athletes to perform at their highest level, offering a better experience for both the athletes and the fan experience,” he added. Steve Simonhis WTA pair.
“My match ended at almost 3am this morning, which meant I didn’t go to bed until a few hours later. I had less than 12 hours to rest and prepare. “I have to do what I think is best for my health and my body,” said Sinner after announcing his withdrawal in Paris, 14 hours after beating McDonald.
“It’s crazy. The tournament doesn’t care and the ATP only follows what they want. It’s always the same story,” the Swiss expressed solidarity with him. Stan Wawrinka.
The Italian’s was not the only match that ended at dawn last year. In February, for example, Guido Pella he won against the Italian Andrea Vavassori in his debut in the Córdoba ATP with a victory that was sealed at 1:30 in the Argentine morning. Also in Paris, Andrey Rublev he complained after his collision with Alex de Miñaur for the quarterfinals will end one hour after midnight.
“First I have to go to dinner, then treatment, go to the hotel, take a shower… I don’t know what time I’m going to go to sleep, four or five in the morning? It’s crazy. Thanks for the order game. And I am part of the ATP player council… ATP we are together,” commented the Russian in an ironic tone, who the next day lost with Novak Djokovic.
Andy Murray, who never has problems sharing his opinion, also felt firsthand what it was like to win in the middle of the night at the start of that campaign. In it Australian Open last, their second round match against the local Thanasi Kokkinakis It lasted five hours and 45 minutes and It ended at 4:06 in the morning.
“I don’t know who benefits from us playing at this hour. Instead of it being an epic Murray vs Kokkinakis, it becomes a bit of a farce. It’s amazing that people stayed until the end. It is not beneficial for ball boys, nor for judges or staff. It’s not good for the spectators, it’s not good for the players. It’s something we’ve been talking about for many years: when you start a game so late and under these conditions, it’s normal for things like this to happen,” she commented at the time.
Months later, he continued: “It’s clearly wrong. And the reason is purely economic, it’s not because the people who run the tournaments think it’s good for the players, it’s not like that. They do it for economic reasons.”
The criticisms and complaints of the protagonists had an effect and the ATP and the WTA, in common agreement, They approved a change to avoid those late finishes.
The two organizations also pointed out that a strategic study on tennis balls is underway, with the aim of proposing new balls of superior quality and reliability from 2025 onwards.