ATP chief takes swipe at Carlos Alcaraz and co over exhibitions as he hits back over calendar complaints
Players who have complained about the overcrowded tennis schedule have been told to decide if they want to “invest in the circuit” or play “fewer exhibitions and spend more time at home to rest”.
Tennis bosses have come under fire this year as the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Iga Swiatek have all criticised the calendar.
Alcaraz jokingly warned that the schedule is going to “kill us”, stating: “I’m the kind of player who thinks there is a lot of tournaments during the year, mandatory tournaments and probably during the next few years gonna be even more tournaments, more mandatory tournaments. So, I mean, probably they are going to kill us in some way (smiling).
“Right now they are showing up a lot of injuries because of the ball, because of the calendar, because of a lot of things.”
Zverev accused the ATP bosses of being more interested in money than player welfare while Swiatek slammed the schedule as “crazy” and “scary”.
The five-time Grand Slam winner said: “Our calendar is crazy, probably the toughest one in sports. There are sports that are really tough because, physically, you might get beat up. But most sports have four months off, sometimes even six.
“Our schedule is crazy, and it’s getting more crazy every year, which is scary. You just have to train wisely.”
There have been calls to completely overhaul by reducing the number of mandatory tournaments or dropping some ATP 250 events.
However, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi it is easier said than done as he also took aim at players who have been competing in exhibition events this year.
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Alcaraz, despite his complaints about the calendar, played in “friendly” events in Las Vegas, Saudi Arabia and Charlotte this season.
“It’s not like football or basketball where they are employed by a club. Our players are self-employed and can decide their schedule,” Gaudenzi told L’Equipe.
“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.”