Daniil Medvedev Warns He Might 'Boycott' Matches If Changes Are Not Made
NewsWednesday, 20 August 2025 at 16:30
The calls for the ATP and WTA to change their schedules are becoming louder and louder, with Daniil Medvedev adding one request as well.
For quite some time, tennis players have been unhappy with different parts of their schedule. Some believe the overall calendar is too lengthy, as it runs from late December to November. Others are unhappy with the ATP and WTA 1000 events becoming longer, but tennis players also have other complaints.
Some dislike playing early in the morning, while others prefer not to play late at night. There are just many parts of the tennis schedule that can move and make the player unhappy. Karen Khachanov, as per The Guardian, compared tennis' schedule to other sports like ice hockey, American football, and soccer, but it also applies to basketball, volleyball, and baseball.
The Russian player explained that in those sports, athletes know upfront who they will play and when, with the schedule being set in stone. Of course, there are instances when matches have to be rescheduled or postponed, but that's mostly due to extraordinary circumstances.
"We can go in all sports: NHL, American football or soccer. They know the whole season when they start – which game, against who and where. In tennis, this is the toughest part. You need to adapt to the circumstances."
Tennis currently lacks the option to schedule matches in a way similar to other sports. There are many reasons why. One of them is the fact that a tennis match can last virtually anywhere from 30 minutes to even 6 hours at Grand Slams.
The other reason is the weather. If it starts raining during the day, all of the matches might be postponed to later in the evening, and eventually, the night as well. With the tournaments having a set duration, there is always an incentive to try to finish as many matches on a given day as possible, even if it means playing until late at night.
Trying to maximize the chances of finishing as many matches as possible during a given day, the organizers often schedule the start of the first matches as early as 11 a.m.
That's something some players don't like at all. Earlier this year, Alexander Bublik spoke about how crazy it is to him that matches start at 11 a.m., and Daniil Medvedev shares the same sentiment.
The Russian player stated that later on in his career, he may boycott some of the matches if he has to start at 11 a.m. Medvedev joked that he would just say he didn't wake up.
"I was talking to my team today. I was like: 'When I’m 35, I might just boycott the 11am matches.' I’ll be like: 'I’m not coming. Walkover.' Like: 'Yeah, I didn’t wake up. Sorry, guys.' In my opinion, 11 is so early. You have to wake up at 6.30 in the morning, where, if you play at night, you wake up at 9am. So it changes the perspective of the match. It’s crazy mentally."
Medvedev currently fights a different fight
Medvedev has struggled with his form in recent years, so he isn't currently in a position to choose when he will play. At the moment, the 29-year-old's focus is on trying to regain his top form.
Only a few seasons ago, he was the World No. 1 player, but currently, Medvedev sits just outside of the Top 10 in the World No. 13 position. Coming to the US Open, he will fancy his chances of having a deep run despite his recent bad form, as he is a former champion of the event.
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