Why is Wimbledon played so soon after RG?
- Thread starter Fedex
- Start date
VPhuc tennis fan
Professional
At the request of Rafa's camp?! or uncle Toni's?
Come on now. FO and Wimby have always been apart a couple of weeks. Why change now? Grass season is short enough as it is. Can't cut it down anymore as it will look ridiculous.
All right, if we absolutely want to space out the 2, then I propose we cut down in 1 clay tourney. Take your pick.
tennis_hack
Banned
Suresh, how do you feel about Nadal being beaten by a guy with a 1hbh?
Guess it doesn't count because grass is not a real surface/Darcis is a freak/Nadal's legs were amputated...etc...
Guess it doesn't count because grass is not a real surface/Darcis is a freak/Nadal's legs were amputated...etc...
B
bhallic24
Guest
Wow how shameful is that. Of course we should all go nuts and cause an uproar so they can change the schedule right? Because this short schedule affects only RAFA. And as we all know everything needs to be just to his liking right?
Blue Clay? Nah, no way, Rafa doesn't like it? Change that **** back.
Early Exit by Rosol? **** man, Rafa didn't get beat, he lost because of injury.
Losing to the 138 player in the world in the first round? No way man, Johnny MAc still says he's the greatest ever. He MUST be injured.
Fedex
Legend
That's good. At least some common sense is prevailing.
And to the others thinking I'm making an excuse for Nadal well I'm not a fan but you must admit it's clear to see how the closeness of the two tournaments has affected him.
And Federer went out relatively early at RG with one eye on Wimbledon so it's affected him too.
And Murray would have been a physical wreck at Wimbledon if he'd played RG.
The closeness of the two tournaments combined with the high physicality and competitiveness of tennis today is obviously having an adverse effect on the top players and spoiling what should be a spectacle of the best in the world on top form and health competing against one another.
Russeljones
Talk Tennis Guru
Haha. Really. That's the most obvious excuse and I didn't think of it all day!
I agree that Wimbledon and RG are probably too close, but Nadal doesn't do himself any favors by playing so much during the clay season. He's clearly not fit enough to recover for grass anymore, as evidenced by the last two years. I still have no idea why he plays Barcelona every year.
Fedex
Legend
Come on don't cherry pick. Read my second post.
tennis_badger
Rookie
from 2006 to 2008 RF AND Nadal went to the final of RG, followed up by both going to the final of W.
doesnt seem to bother both of them then.
RF obviously continue on in 2009, while nadal do the same in 2010 and 2011.
There's nothing wrong with the scheduling.
doesnt seem to bother both of them then.
RF obviously continue on in 2009, while nadal do the same in 2010 and 2011.
There's nothing wrong with the scheduling.
Russeljones
Talk Tennis Guru
I am not, I always respond to the OP and then read the rest. Only I am tired and have (for the first time in weeks) some limited time to explore the forum and interact. Baby is taking up all my time, didn't watch a minute of tennis today. I was being facetious, obviously. You'd have no motive to make excuses for Nadal. I know of the impending move but this whole issue - it's a little like the time wasting. Some people say "hey they just played a 36 shot rally" the question is why did they play so many shots? Nadal should know how to pace himself, and he didn't lose today because RG was close to SW19. He lost because he underestimates this surface.
Steve0904
Talk Tennis Guru
And how does one have anything to do with the other? I know you're sad Nadal lost because you said it, but if you're going for Murray I don't see how you can really be sad. I know you also said it was bad for the tournament, but upsets are upsets. They happen. Nadal didn't lose today because Wimbledon and RG are too close together, he lost because he played like crap and Darcis played great plus this is not clay. And by the time they put an extra week in between Nadal will be 29 years old. Could he still win it at 29? Perhaps, but it won't get easier it will get harder.
Uh, you DO know that Wimbledon has WAY more history than the Dirtball Open and preceded it by quite a few years, so, a better question is, why is the Dirtball Open scheduled so close to Wimbledon, move it back a few weeks, get rid of some of those other worthless dirt tournaments.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
^^^^ I don't have a problem with that. But can you imagine how nasty the weather might be? Maybe put a dome over the whole site? 
tistrapukcipeht
Professional
No excuses, Nadal just proved that if the grass is fresh for every match he would never win Wimbledon, those are the hardest matches for him.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
A serious theory for the OP... remember this all started in the days of ocean liners. So the players were in Europe; let's do 2. Same reason Davis Cup rounds follow (shortly) after majors - the players were there and available. There were Davis Cup ties, not involving GB, played at Wimbledon not long after The Championships. Including the (in)famous Budge - Von Cramm match.
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
The abrupt changes of direction needed on grass must make for be real additional pressure on Nadal's knees that sliding clay does not.
As well as the slippery footing with which Azarenka could not cope.
Especially when the grass is still grass in the first week this will be a problem for him.
As well as the slippery footing with which Azarenka could not cope.
Especially when the grass is still grass in the first week this will be a problem for him.
Fedex
Legend
I don't think it really matters if they put W on one week later.
Bobby you are cruel and heartless.
I really wish they could move Wimbledon to start in the second week of July (i.e. have 4 weeks between slams) so that we can have a masters event on grass somewhere on mainland Europe.
Grass court tennis is really entertaining now in my opinion.
However, the $$$ made at the US Hardcourt series tournaments mean that this will never happen (perhaps rightly so from a business perspective).
I am amazed they even managed to fit an extra week in from 2014 onwards.
Grass court tennis is really entertaining now in my opinion.
However, the $$$ made at the US Hardcourt series tournaments mean that this will never happen (perhaps rightly so from a business perspective).
I am amazed they even managed to fit an extra week in from 2014 onwards.
Steve0904
Talk Tennis Guru
I hope you're not serious. Sure I don't agree that they should be closer, but like I said, how does one have anything to do with the other. I don't see Federer or Murray or Djokovic losing in the first and second rounds because they're "tired." And even if one of them goes out early I would never put it down to tiredness. Nadal was not tired either. He just got outplayed by Darcis. Why are you complaining anyway? Aren't you going for Murray? Enough of this crap about it being bad for the tournament. It's an upset. They happen.
Fedex
Legend
That's interesting to see the history but wouldn't you agree it's slightly outdated now?
Smasher08
Legend
An extra 3 week gap between RG and SW19 would be ideal so that there could be 2 big warm ups and three buffer weeks.
Ain't gonna happen though. So an extra week and perhaps an elevation of Halle to an optional 1000 would be the next best thing.
While we're at it, Toronto/Montreal should either be moved forward by a week, or the USO backwards so that there can be a buffer week between Canada and Cincy.
Ain't gonna happen though. So an extra week and perhaps an elevation of Halle to an optional 1000 would be the next best thing.
While we're at it, Toronto/Montreal should either be moved forward by a week, or the USO backwards so that there can be a buffer week between Canada and Cincy.
merlinpinpin
Hall of Fame
Or...
They might as well stop playing Wimbledon altogether and just award the title to the guy who won Roland Garros, so we get more channel slams.
And make this retroactive, too--starting 2005, as Rafa was clearly not ready enough all these years because of the tournaments being too close.
(Except for 2009, which should be scrapped from the record books altogether, as Rafa wasn't ready, not because of stuff being too close, but because of his parents growing apart. Kind of confusing if too much closeness was the issue in the first place, that. Kind of like being too rested...)
Joking aside, yeah, grass should have a proper 'season', with at least one master (and get one or two back on carpet, too, as well as the WTF), but fat chance we'll be seeing that anytime soon. I don't think the additional week will change much, tbh, apart from maybe Queen's and Halle playing on different weeks (and maybe Halle being awarded ATP500 status--as Queen's can't, technically). We'll see.
They might as well stop playing Wimbledon altogether and just award the title to the guy who won Roland Garros, so we get more channel slams.
And make this retroactive, too--starting 2005, as Rafa was clearly not ready enough all these years because of the tournaments being too close.
(Except for 2009, which should be scrapped from the record books altogether, as Rafa wasn't ready, not because of stuff being too close, but because of his parents growing apart. Kind of confusing if too much closeness was the issue in the first place, that. Kind of like being too rested...)
Joking aside, yeah, grass should have a proper 'season', with at least one master (and get one or two back on carpet, too, as well as the WTF), but fat chance we'll be seeing that anytime soon. I don't think the additional week will change much, tbh, apart from maybe Queen's and Halle playing on different weeks (and maybe Halle being awarded ATP500 status--as Queen's can't, technically). We'll see.
single_handed_champion
Professional
Do YOU know how many years exactly?
14. A measly 14.
I don't begrudge Wimbledon its status as a premier event of the sport and everyone thinks of lawn tennis with regard to the beginnings of the game, but the ridiculous 'WAY more antiquity' (like Wimbledon's been around since the 15th century) BS has to stop.
merlinpinpin
Hall of Fame
Try 48, actually. The French Open started in 1925 (vs 1877 for Wimbledon). The earlier version, which started in 1891, was the French Championships, only for French players.
Fedex
Legend
Agree with this also.
Tennis is far moe physical now and the players need more recovery.
Cue Bobby Jr to tell us what wooses players are these days and how he would have them playing tournaments every week and each player would get a good lashing before each match. And live in a shoe box etc.
SLD76
G.O.A.T.
OR.....we could speed up the courts which would make the points shorter and reward shotmaking and aggressive play, and make matches much shorter but..
somehow I dont think nadal fans would entertain the notion.
vive le beau jeu !
Talk Tennis Guru
i'm confused.
those "consecutive early round exits" rather tend to prove the contrary... the nadal losing early is a very good thing.
that being said, the good thing about having an extra week is that we should have more tournaments played on grass.
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matchmaker
Hall of Fame
I think the grasscourt season should definitely by lengthened. Ideally players should be able to play 2 or 3 grasscourt tournaments before Wimbledon. Most top players now only play one. Going from the highest bouncing to the lowest bouncing surface in a couple of weeks seems too short. Grass deserves to be a real surface and have more tournaments.
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