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(190909) — NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2019 — Photo shows the Arthur Ashe Stadium where the men s singles final match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Daniil Medvedev of Russia takes place at the 2019 US Open in New York, the United States, Sept. 8, 2019. ) (SP)US-NEW YORK-TENNIS-US OPEN-MEN S SINGLES-FINAL LixMuzi PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
via Imago
(190909) — NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2019 — Photo shows the Arthur Ashe Stadium where the men s singles final match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Daniil Medvedev of Russia takes place at the 2019 US Open in New York, the United States, Sept. 8, 2019. ) (SP)US-NEW YORK-TENNIS-US OPEN-MEN S SINGLES-FINAL LixMuzi PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
Over the past few years, tennis has been facing a glaring problem with poor scheduling of matches. The introduction of the night schedule has taken a toll on players’ health, affecting their sleep schedule for the worse. Many have been talking about the issue and raising concerns over changes, which has resulted in the ATP and the WTA coming together to announce a solution.
Many top players like Iga Swiatek have spoken up about this problem. Although this trouble has prevailed for a long time, the solution has only been now. But then again, better late than never, it is often said.
What is the new announcement by the ATP and the WTA?
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Ahead of the Australian Open, the men’s and women’s tennis bodies announced big changes to the scheduling of the matches. Over the past few years, the number of late-night finishes at the tournaments has gone up considerably and that has prompted the two bodies to come together and find a common solution.
Big news from ATP/WTA on match scheduling (including “no matches to go on court after 11pm”) & tennis balls w/ the goal of delivering “greater ball consistency within tournament swings.”
But perhaps even bigger than that is the fact that the tours are issuing a joint statement. pic.twitter.com/7e9iVCDY8D
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) January 9, 2024
Considering an 11 A.M. start, no more than 5 matches on a court will be allowed. Among them, 3 will have to be in the day session and only 2 matches will be allowed in the evening session. Further, no games will be allowed after 11 P.M. unless approved by the supervisor in consultation with the management.
Lastly, matches not on the court by 10:30 P.M. are to be moved to an alternative court, by no later than 11:00 P.M. These new rules will be effective immediately in both, the men’s tennis as well as the women’s tennis. These changes come as a major relief to the players, who were finding it difficult to keep up during the night sessions. Last year, Iga Swiatek, openly criticized the WTA after she had a torrid schedule at the Canadian Open.
When Swiatek struggled with a hectic schedule
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The Polish star had to play back-to-back matches on the same day at the Canadian Open. It took a toll on her body and she wasn’t able to perform at her peak. Subsequently, Iga Swiatek hit out at the WTA over the poor scheduling of games.
DIVE DEEPER: ‘Not Easy to Go…After Midnight’ – Late Night Paris Masters Finish Prompts Jannik Sinner to Call Out Poor Scheduling
Talking about this, she said, “I wouldn’t mind playing on Court 2 if I could just have a normal night & normal recovery after the match. 1 match like that is cool, I don’t mind… but four? Your whole sleep routine is getting ruined.”
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However, with the changes in the rules, Swiatek will be relieved that she won’t have to go through the troubling time she faced last year. What do you think about these new changes by the ATP and the WTA? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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