Alcaraz And Others Told To Play Less Exhibitions By ATP Chief After Schedule Complaints
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Carlos Alcaraz and other players have been critical of the length of the tennis season, but the ATP chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, has said many of those complaining could choose to play in fewer exhibitions.
Alcaraz was among several ATP and WTA stars who argued that the schedule is too long and does not give players enough time to rest and work on areas of their game on the practice court.
Alexander Zverev's words about the topic were particularly blunt. The German accused the ATP of not caring about the players and said it only wants to profit from their efforts on the court.
Iga Swiatek, who recently accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, has been the most vocal women's player, arguing that the current situation is unsustainable.
The WTA has particularly strict rules about mandatory tournaments. Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka had ranking points removed this year for not playing in at least six WTA 500 tournaments.
Alcaraz claimed a few months ago that the lengthy season reduced his enjoyment of tennis. The 21-year-old stated that there were tournaments he did not want to travel to in 2024 because he felt burnt out.
However, rather than taking an extended break during the off-season, Alcaraz has played two exhibitions in the U.S. against Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, losing the latter of those in Charlotte.
Tennis and equality icon Billie Jean King predicted last month that players would compete in exhibitions during the off-season despite complaining about the schedule. As a result, she did not have much sympathy for them.
ATP chairman Gaudenzi previously expressed an understanding of the players' concerns and promised that the governing body was working on a solution that would satisfy those worries.
However, Gaudenzi's tone was different when speaking recently to L'Equipe. The Italian reminded fans that the players were self-employed and could choose to play fewer exhibitions if they wanted to rest more.
"It’s not like football or basketball where they are employed by a club. Our players are self-employed and can decide their schedule. Yes, there is the ranking that makes them have to play, but it depends mainly on the big tournaments, the Grand Slams, the Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals."
"We decided to strengthen the Masters 1000, but in this new format, if you go to the final, you only play one more game compared to the old one. In addition, players choose to play many exhibitions outside the circuit. We don’t see that in other sports."
"The question is whether you want to invest in the circuit or outside the circuit. Reduce the season? Yes, but it will then be necessary to reduce the number of ATP 250 tournaments. Afterwards, players can also decide to do fewer exhibitions and spend more time at home to rest."
The ATP chairman also discussed the balls used at tournaments and how frequently they are changed, another topic that has caused controversy. Gaudenzi confirmed that the management of the balls would be centralized.
"The management of the balls will be centralized. We made this decision last year and will apply it progressively from 2025. For example, we will use the same from Monte Carlo to Rome."
"Tournaments have signed contracts with the manufacturers and we will have to wait for them to be concluded. The Slam tournaments are excluded from all this, on which we have no say in them."
