Jan 9, 2024 at 6:11 pm
The international tennis associations WTA and ATP took measures on Tuesday against late end times of matches. The rules have been adjusted following a call from the players and fans.
This can be read in a statement from the unions. “The number of late finishes, defined as matches ending after midnight, has increased significantly in recent years, with negative consequences for players and fans. This is associated with an increase in the average match duration,” the ATP and WTA write.
Last season, both players and fans expressed fierce criticism several times regarding the times at which tennis matches were decided. At several Grand Slams the matches did not end until late at night. Tennis players called it “a farce”. Last week, tennis was played at the United Cup until 2:20 am local time.
From now on, matches may start no later than 11pm local time. This can only be deviated from in special circumstances, such as cultural traditions or bad weather conditions. Efforts are also being made to move matches in the late evening hours to other courts as much as possible. This would mainly be the case if previous games were likely to last longer.
According to WTA and ATP, the evening sessions, in which two matches are played, may start no later than 7:30 PM local time. In addition, there may only be five matches on the program per match day, two of which are evening matches. The new measures will be implemented on a trial basis in 2024. The associations will evaluate after the season.
Last season, tennis players also complained en masse about the weekly changing ball types on the ATP and WTA Tour. The associations report that they are conducting a ‘strategic evaluation’ of the tennis balls used. “Match schedules and tennis balls are two priority topics on our agenda,” ATP president Andrea Gaundezi said in a statement.
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2024-01-09 17:11:43
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