Kyrgios calls for more Australian tournaments

[SinjinCooper]

Aussie Open should be moved to Shanghai. You grow the sport by catering to fans and population bases, not desert islands. World class tournament should be in a world class city, not some backwater byway.

Australia should just host exhibitions when they want pro players to have to play there. Whole tour would get better instantly.

 

[EloQuent]

Aussie Open should be moved to Shanghai. You grow the sport by catering to fans and population bases, not desert islands. World class tournament should be in a world class city, not some backwater byway.

Australia should just host exhibitions when they want pro players to have to play there. Whole tour would get better instantly.

No need to insult Australia...

I agree that China is more deserving of a Slam. Maybe Shanghai should be upgraded, and the slams expanded to 5 or 6.

 

[Deanjam]

Last time they extended the off season the players arranged a weeks-long off-season tournament through Asia. I have little sympathy for the season being too long.

 

[Dave1982]

I really don't have a problem with an Australian player lobbying for more professional tournaments in their home country - do I think it will happen or do I think the current schedule (let alone a potentially further reduced one) will allow for it...no, but good on him for starting the discussion.

Unfortunately ATP has made a rod for its back when it comes to length of tour - in reality only way of genuinely shortening tour would be to remove a couple of M1000 events - something at this point in time I'd struggle to see happening.

 

[EloQuent]

Instead of shortening the tour they should just reduce the required tournaments. The issue isn't an 11 month season, it's that players don't want to play 20 tournaments. So take the time yourself, set your own schedule.

 

[toby55555]

Need more Futures and Challengers in the UK thats for sure. Grand total of 6 events for men.

 

[MugOpponent]

I can just imagine an ATP 500/1000 in Alice Springs or Darwin.

 

[nikdom]

Surprised no one brought this up yet.

How about the Outback Series in the middle of the Outback?

Jim Courier and his buddies could give new meaning to former players being 'put out to pasture' Aussie style.

 

[Deon Sanders]

The entire continent has as many people as the New York metro area

They are more than over represented

 

[Bartelby]

Krygios can barely get through one Australian tournament.

 

[PrinceMoron]

I can just imagine an ATP 500/1000 in Alice Springs or Darwin.

Sponsored by LaCoste

 

[papertank]

I agree, it is strange that for such a huge tennis nation we only get a couple of 250s at the beginning of the year besides the AO. I wouldn't mind a couple 500s or even an M1000 down under.

 

[EloQuent]

I agree, it is strange that for such a huge tennis nation we only get a couple of 250s at the beginning of the year besides the AO. I wouldn't mind a couple 500s or even an M1000 down under.

Australia has 3 players in the top 100. Spain has 8. Serbia has 5. Argentina 7. None of those countries have a Slam, only one has a M1000.

 

[chjtennis]

Well, they can do it as long as they manage to get more sponsors and more players willing to stay there longer. Maybe they can do some 250 events but nothing more. Allocating a slam, AO, is already a favor to the country which is so remote from everywhere else.

 

[papertank]

Australia has 3 players in the top 100. Spain has 8. Serbia has 5. Argentina 7. None of those countries have a Slam, only one has a M1000.

Australia has a rich tennis history though and the sport is extremely popular in the country, easily as popular if not more than in those countries. Current players in the top 100 doesn't mean everything.