ATP scheduling is insane

FedFan_2009 said:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/schedule;_ylt=An4TGphBwe43bbhuRKvUnzw4v7YF

Only 1 month of offseason now... This is murder on the joints of the top ATP stars, how can they function like this? Stupid ATP...
Click to expand...

its actually not considered a month off by most. Time to rest before the tough HC season for the top superstars, and a big chance for the top20-150 to make a huge move in the lower 500s and 250s. lotsa great tennis this month but just not many of the bigger stars
 
How come Nadal is one of the few breaking down compared to the rest of the tour????? Could it be because the rest of the tour actually knows how to schedule their tournaments so that they don't get overworked??? Look at the rest of the top 10. Roddick was out for a few tourneys due to a bad back. Davydenko missed a few. But Murray, DelPotro, Fed, Djokovic, Simon, Verdasco, and Gonzalez are relatively injury free, with minor pullouts because they went deep into a tourney the week before. How many more tourneys has Nadal played than these other players. Yes, he's played more matches, but whose fault is that??? It isn't the court or the schedule, it is his own schedule making and the fact that his knees are injury prone. This isn't the 1st time, nor will it be the last time, that Nadal has to pull out of tourneys because of his knees.
 
ATP needs to chill with the mandantory events and everything will be fine. What happened to the early 2000s and 90s when master series were not as strictly enforced. Make players only have to play lets say 6 of the 9 master series. Go with the best of 16 system. With the 4 GS 6 required master series and then the next 6 best results..These can be master series, 500 events 250 events. Allow players more freedom to pick what and when they want to play.
 
egn said:
ATP needs to chill with the mandantory events and everything will be fine. What happened to the early 2000s and 90s when master series were not as strictly enforced. Make players only have to play lets say 6 of the 9 master series. Go with the best of 16 system. With the 4 GS 6 required master series and then the next 6 best results..These can be master series, 500 events 250 events. Allow players more freedom to pick what and when they want to play.
Click to expand...

It's all about $$ :wink:

They'll continue to turn the screws until there's a backlash from the players.
 
FedFan_2009 said:
No wonder Nadal is breaking down at only 23, with this insane schedule and ATP requirements!
Click to expand...

Nadal's inability to manage his own schedule is to blame for his current condition. The ATP is not at fault here, and most players are better about their schedule management.

I hope Nadal comes back full strength, but he needs to seriously reduce his schedule if he wants to make it past 25 on tour.
 
Scheduling is sort of insane for the top players.

BUT (I've said this before), it really is up to the player to look after themselves. The ATP will never ban a player for missing a "mandatory" event, since those top players bring in the cash.

The penalty is a fine, and for a top player, an inconsequential fine. If playing a mandatory event is going to do that much harm, then they should just pay the fine. Of course, it is far from ideal to have players voluntarily being fined, but the individual player needs to think long term.

Also, a player can be excused from a mandatory event. If the player is suffering from a substantive injury, getting a "doctor's note" is not really that hard.

I guess the problem comes when the player is simply suffering normal "wear and tear," physical/mental fatigue. I'd venture to guess that even a "bothersome" (no concrete injury, just soreness/stiffness) joint or muscle could be reason to be excused.
 
bluetrain4 said:
Scheduling is sort of insane for the top players.

BUT (I've said this before), it really is up to the player to look after themselves. The ATP will never ban a player for missing a "mandatory" event, since those top players bring in the cash.
Click to expand...

Beyond the money these tournaments bring in, I would imagine that the fact that every tennis event (outside of the YEC) takes place as single-elimination tournament also forces tennis players to load up on events so they can avoid dropping down in the rankings (and therefore seeding). So I don't think you can really leave it up to the player. If it's a choice between possibility of knee trouble and having to play Federer or Nadal or something in the first round of every tournament, I'm sure any player will cast his lots with the injury gods.

The best thing, I would argue, is to make the game as easy as possible on the body, since the incentive to load up on events will always exist (as long as tennis is based on a 'tour' of individual tournaments. That would mean regulating rackets, surfaces, and possibly mandating a longer off-season when these players will be forced to rest and to work on their game.
 
JennyS said:
After all the years of players complaining the season is too long, they've made the season LONGER!
Click to expand...

Indeed. When the year's schedule came out and DC Final was being played at the beginning of *December* I couldn't believe it.
 
Playing in Barcelona was too much for Nadal: Gil, Rochus, Davydenko, Ferrer. Come on, 500 points are not worth that much. Too much energy for a non-mandatory event.
 
It's not really even a month off. It's a month for the players to train harder than ever to improve. Look at Verdasco and Roddick over the past 6 months for example.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Sentinel
Federer backs shorter ATP season
Replies
26
Views
2K
P_Agony
P_Agony
West Coast Ace
Fed to play Davis Cup
Replies
3
Views
659
crazylevity
crazylevity
asifallasleep
The Kyrgios Meltdown is less about Nick but more about an out of control ATP.
Replies
39
Views
2K
Gazelle
Gazelle
J
The "1,000" tournaments? How stupid of a name is that.
Replies
24
Views
1K
daddy
daddy
Rhino
Davydenko cleared by ATP
Replies
23
Views
2K
pound cat
P
Back
Top