Fans can never get a moment of rest. Naturally, taking shots at the Tour takes that away. Trouble has come surfing to the Shanghai Masters, wherein inconsistent rains and heavy downpours have hampered match schedules. Disappointed with the update, players were forced to stop all play until the skies cleared, but Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner kept performing.

Being the top two seeds at the hardcourt event comes with certain perks – playing on indoor courts. This, however, wasn’t well received by the tennis community who lamented the preferential treatment of the ATP.

Tennis ‘Hot Topic’ the entire season – Sinner and Alcaraz gave the media plenty to cover. The stars had an ‘adventurous’ season, from controversies to a drop in form. Moreover, their clashes spoke volumes about their feisty rivalry and impressive athletic prowess. Finessing the rankings chart, naturally, made them fan favorites at nearly every event. So much so that one might wonder if that earned them preferential treatment. Fans have been engulfed in similar speculations after problematic circumstances in Shanghai prevailed.

For those unaware, the duo recently locked horns for the China Open title, wherein Alcaraz outfoxed the World No. 1 to bag the Beijing glory and, with it, his fourth ATP crown for the year. However, it’s the Shanghai Masters tournament, which is the talk of the town right now, and fans are not happy with the scheduling arrangements there.

Fans lambast ATP Tour’s ‘poor scheduling,’ calling out top players’ bias

Notably frustrated with the damning circumstances, one fan called out ATP’s “poor scheduling” that ultimately prevented lower-ranked players from resuming their second-round contests due to weather disturbances at a time when Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played their respective third-round clashes.

Quickly noting the biases within tour-level events, multiple users highlighted how certain players are privy to a day off, while some mark their on-court attendance twice a day. Rhetorically proposing a solution to their problems, one suggested: “Why didn’t you cancel the matches on Center Court and have the 2R matches be played there.” Another chimed in, stating: “Cancel the R3 matches and move the R2 matches to the stadium.” While some players lack on rest days – some don’t, and ATP often becomes fans’ punching bag. Because of back-to-back matches and the overwhelming traveling, the tour often gets pressed for reflecting noteworthy changes to the system, a system that is not always appreciated anymore.

One fan subtly hinted that the bias for top-ranked players helps them benefit in terms of better arenas and match schedules, because of which they don’t have to worry about weather irregularities hampering their showdowns. “The top five are already playing the round of 16. They always win, not even having to deal with the stress of constant breaks and rain delays.” Another user slammed the ATP Masters 1000 event for causing the inconvenience saying, “You clearly don’t deserve such a tournament, amateurs!”

In summary, ATP has been criticized numerous times. With tensions rising, fans’ pleading might just be heard. But for now, both Sinner and Alcaraz are vying to conclude their Asian hardcourt swing with one or  – in Alcaraz’s case – two titles.