The grass court season should be expanded.

[Slightly D1]

There should be more grass tournaments during the summer. I understand the complexities of getting a large enough tournament site to commit to grass with court maintenance being year long process for a two week tournament, but grass tennis is incredibly enjoyable to watch. I would push Wimbledon back 2-4 weeks to allow players to rest after clay or play small tournaments, make Queens a 1000, and add a second 500 tournament to go with Halle.

Of course this is more wishful thinking as the tour has its financial commitments and scheduling to focus on but plans could be made to adjust in the future. Hard court tournaments make for great balanced tennis but take up a majority of the season on the front and back ends. There should be a more equal distribution of surface play for grass and not at the expense of the clay season.

 

[Centrius]

Seeing how tricky is the surface I suspect most players on tour don't like playing on grass so much.And also is the surface I enjoy the least seeing matches.

 

[tonylg]

Ideally the Australian Open would go back to grass. Wimbledon has become pitifully slow, so the AO could become the only fast court slam. Tennis is traditionally played on grass in Australia and we've lost the plot since ditching it for hard court.

 

[Cashman]

I understand the complexities of getting a large enough tournament site to commit to grass with court maintenance being year long process for a two week tournament

I don't think this is really a massive issue - most venues will lay down any surface the ATP wants if it is a matter of getting or retaining a major tournament. It may cause some problems on the satellite tour, but extending the main grass season doesn't necessarily mean that more grass Challengers are required.

I would push Wimbledon back 2-4 weeks to allow players to rest after clay or play small tournaments, make Queens a 1000, and add a second 500 tournament to go with Halle.

The main problem with pushing Wimbledon back further is the impact that it has on the US summer hardcourts. Starting the US Open later isn't really feasible, because organisers need the benefit of Labor Day during the middle of the tournament.

Pushing Wimbledon back even 2 weeks would mean that the mandatory schedule from mid-July to early September would be Wimbledon-break-Canadian Open-Cincinatti-break-US Open (i.e. 6 weeks of mandatory tournaments in an 8 week stretch). It's just not feasible.

You'd have to downgrade either Cinci or Canada (presumably in exchange for upgrading a grass tournament) and I don't see that happening. Too much money to be made in North America.

 

[SaintPetros]

How much more abuse from Nole do you think Fed can take?

 

[er4claw]

If they are going to make it slower than molasses then don't bother. I don't wont to see more 40 plus shot rallies on green clay. How about make Wimbledon at least MEDIUM fast again. Just medium, not even fast. We don't want to go too crazy or fed might win something against ATP golden boys djoker and bull.

 

[Cashman]

We don't want to go too crazy or fed might win something against ATP golden boys djoker and bull.

I've got no sympathy for Federer losing on slow surfaces when he had just as much a hand as anyone in slowing them down in the first place. It's his fault we no longer have carpet at Bercy.

 

[tonylg]

I've got no sympathy for Federer losing on slow surfaces when he had just as much a hand as anyone in slowing them down in the first place. It's his fault we no longer have carpet at Bercy.

For me it's not about having sympathy for Federer. It's about wanting the variety back in tennis.

If that means Federer loses to Tsitsipas, Kyrgios or even Opelka, so be it. I just don't want to keep seeing 4 French Opens each year.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[insideguy]

They did expand the grass season by a week about 5 years ago. It use to be even shorter.

 

[Robert F]

Longer grass would be good but might just be impossible.

I think the ideal balanced set up keeping in mind they make the surface speeds from slowests to Fastest--RG--AO--USO--Wimby.

Prior to each slam should be two masters, two 500's and two or four 250s that use very similar surface conditions.
Week 1 500 and maybe a parallel 250
Week 2 250
Week 3 Master
Week4 250
Week 5 Master
Week 6 500 and maybe a parallel 250
Grand Slam. (2 weeks)
Week off and then repeat.

Total of 9 weeks for the complete cycle. X4 36 weeks of the year.
Maybe a similar or shorter cycle prior to ATP World Finals. That adds another 4-6 weeks for 42 weeks and more time off.

The realities of the calendar make it difficult. You'd have to pull back RG if you want to keep US Open around Labor Day. Plus you'd have to have a pre-season in Asia prior to AO (or push AO into Feb--but that messes with Australia's summer). Actual off season might be after USO or after AO???

 

[coolboarder]

Solution is being found here, ATP/ITF could easily switch the hard court season from January to mid-May where US Open could be played in NYC starting in mid-May, to avoid heat/humidity ending at Memorial Day weekend and have Grass court season start right after, assuming Wimbledon accepts the starting date around July 7th, ending 21ish. That will give them 6 full weeks of grass court warm-up. You could easily host two grass court Masters and a 500 during these weeks. After Wimbledon, giving them time for 6 weeks of clay court season and have RG being held late August/early September where heat/humidity combo is nowhere to be found. It is a good compromise. Players get to play in a favorable conditions all season long except for Australian Open. The weather in the US east coast weather is pleasant in May so I don't see any disadvantage with this arrangement considering that most schools is off for the summer early May and by the time US open starts, school opens for the fall semester.

 

[rUDin 21]

Make indoor carpet season instead of hard and make Shanghai part of indoor season.Canada masters is getting more and more useless each year.It's sad.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

Bunch of idiots ignoring the risk of injury of grass and how often players slip and fall.

They'll learn to move better by playing more on it.

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

If they are going to make it slower than molasses then don't bother. I don't wont to see more 40 plus shot rallies on green clay. How about make Wimbledon at least MEDIUM fast again. Just medium, not even fast. We don't want to go too crazy or fed might win something against ATP golden boys djoker and bull.

No, slow ftw. If you don't like it, then get lost.

 

[er4claw]

No, slow ftw. If you don't like it, then get lost.

The message from tennis organizers is loud and clear. Bend over backwards to acomadate djokers and bulls every whim.

For fed treat him like a used tissue and sabatoge him constantly. Wimby, we made it slower than RG isnt that nice. Oh and us open rog, the surface is permanetly changed to that nice slow thing that RAFA keeps winning on. Its dont let the door hit you on the way out old man treatment.

 

[stingstang]

I love old school grass tennis but it's become a pointless surface. You don't get many great rallies like clay or hard but you don't get the artful approaches and net play like back in the day.

I would ban poly for the grass season.

 

[Achilles82]

Not sure about how much should be extended, maybe a week or two, but I would love for us to have one masters 1000 on grass.

 

[Roddick85]

I would love an extended grass season, it should have at least 3 MS-1000 events along with the 250/500 already in place so that the surface is more adequately represented like clay and hard. Heck, I would also like to see some carpet events during the indoor swing just to add more variety while we're at it. There's way too many slow/medium hard court events scattered all over the calendar. When you factor in the 2 months of clay events which are on the slow side, you can say that almost 100% of ATP events are played on slow surfaces. Now I do understand that shuffling things around would be complicated during the summer, but I think if they were to do this right, they need to revise the entire calendar and not just the summer.

A few ideas :

• You have a 4 months gap between the AO and the FO but you squeeze in the FO, W & USO in a 3 months time frame which doesn't make any sense. The sequencing should be revised.
• When you look at the ever evolving weather/climate pattern, events like the USO are scheduled during hurricane season, the FO always has bad weather, so those should probably be moved to better time slots to maximize odds of cooperative weather.
• Consider moving the USO to Indian Wells. By far the biggest MS-1000 event that players/people like, world class infrastructure and stable weather. That would fill in the gap between AO & FO while freeing up the summer schedule.
• Both Montreal & Toronto have the venue/infrastructure to welcome a MS-1000 event. Rather than having them alternate every year, hold or move an event to have 2 MS-1000 in Canada.
• Hamburg should have an event again. Germany has such a strong tennis heritage, they could definitely host a MS-1000 event on grass.

 

[PMChambers]

Grass season is what it is because no one really wants it. There are plenty of options if it was desired but the player, organisers and viewers just aren't interested. Grass court tennis exists purely by Wim history.
The whole Queens {or Halle} + Wim has worked very well in the past.
Poly kills grass, it's like cycle racing on cobblestones, exciting but not the best environment.
Its nice that it can still exist on ATP Tour but it's not a premier surface anymore.
If a M1000 was needed it could easily slot in after Wim. Could bring Wim forward like it used to be have 2 week break with a few 250 between and then a Masters. No major changes required.

 

[er4claw]

I've got no sympathy for Federer losing on slow surfaces when he had just as much a hand as anyone in slowing them down in the first place. It's his fault we no longer have carpet at Bercy.

Federer did that becuase of player safety. He was tired of seeing players hurt themselves with massive burns from the carpet. Fedr being a man of great integrity sacrificed variety and speed that would have given him many more titles and changed it. Not all heroes wear capes but fast grass isnt a safety hazard.

 

[BeatlesFan]

I've got no sympathy for Federer losing on slow surfaces when he had just as much a hand as anyone in slowing them down in the first place. It's his fault we no longer have carpet at Bercy.

Source? Read this entire thread-- Fed had virtually nothing to do with the change in Bercy.

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...dal-asked-the-paris-surface-to-change.164235/

 

[DSH]

If you have the money, OP, your wish can be fulfilled.

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Not everybody got a private grass court at home and the chance to play on it.
So no, should be even shorter.
Good thing clay courts available to play for points this time of year!

 

[Slightly D1]

I don't think this is really a massive issue - most venues will lay down any surface the ATP wants if it is a matter of getting or retaining a major tournament. It may cause some problems on the satellite tour, but extending the main grass season doesn't necessarily mean that more grass Challengers are required.

Yeah most places would be willing to do it if there is financial incentive but the costs to the tournament itself would grow exponentially from having to pay specialized grounds crew experts to handle the soil, grass, watering systems, mowers etc. The costs would grow exponentially for the tournament through these factors beyond just slapping in some sod because it is a living surface. Unlike a hard or clay court where the most work takes place in building or resurfacing the court with lower maintenance required. On hard and clay you just need some water and rollers or brushes. Switching to grass could also potentially limit the events that can be held that are non tour related. If the ATP intended to expand though, there would probably be plenty of bidders seeking the prestige of grass and perhaps that is what makes Wimbledon so special being limited surface tournament.

The main problem with pushing Wimbledon back further is the impact that it has on the US summer hardcourts. Starting the US Open later isn't really feasible, because organisers need the benefit of Labor Day during the middle of the tournament.

Pushing Wimbledon back even 2 weeks would mean that the mandatory schedule from mid-July to early September would be Wimbledon-break-Canadian Open-Cincinatti-break-US Open (i.e. 6 weeks of mandatory tournaments in an 8 week stretch). It's just not feasible.

You'd have to downgrade either Cinci or Canada (presumably in exchange for upgrading a grass tournament) and I don't see that happening. Too much money to be made in North America.

That is a good point. The US Open is also trying to take place before football season starts in the US with the last two weekends before the NFL/College takes over weekend television scheduling. But like the Australian Open, one of the 1000's can be moved to after the US Open such as Canada or Cinci. It would be unfair to Canada to demote their tournament from a 1000 with passionate fans from my experience attending both Montreal and Toronto for the men's tournament. I think indoor tournaments should take a back seat such as Paris since the tour has more incentive to appear in Asia where a lot of new money and fandom is based.

 

[DSH]

Not everybody got a private grass court at home and the chance to play on it.
So no, should be even shorter.
Good thing clay courts available to play for points this time of year!

Clay is good for the pain and injuries, right?

 

[Deleted member 77403]

An additional week would be perfect, allowing for a grass masters. So week one you have the 250 events, week two you have the 500 events, week three you have the 1000 masters event, then a week off, then Wimbledon. That should be good enough. Plenty of fantastic action on the original surface, gives players more competitive play at the highest level on the surface before Wimbledon.

I don't think it needs to be any longer than that. If something like Hamburg was turned into a grass masters I think we have the ideal grass season. Germany gets a big event back, Hamburg already has the facilities to run a masters event also, and we can get some juicy grass masters match ups before Wimbledon.

 

[Cashman]

Source?

Jean-François Caujolle raconte le sacre de Federer: «On a suivi ses prérogatives»

Directeur du tournoi de Bercy de 2007 à 2011, Jean-François Caujolle avait un rêve : que Federer gagne à Paris. Il l'a exaucé, n'hésitant pas à suivre les desiderata du Suisse.

www.lequipe.fr

The tournament director quite clearly outlines how they went to Federer in 2007 and baldly asked what it would take to get him to play Bercy.

Federer sent them to a company that made a surface he liked (no indication if any kickbacks were involved). They discussed in detail with Federer the exact composition of the court they should lay down.

Read this entire thread-- Fed had virtually nothing to do with the change in Bercy.

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...dal-asked-the-paris-surface-to-change.164235/

Did you not read the article in the first post? It makes it clear that Nadal and Federer made getting rid of carpet a non-negotiable if they were going to play the tournament.

When top players do something like that, it is effectively holding a gun to the head of organisers.