The ATP and WTA announced this Wednesday new regulations on the match schedule to try to minimize late finishes. There will be no tennis after eleven at night, starting with the Australian Open that starts this Sunday. The goal is to improve the tournament experience for both players and fans.
The number of late match finishes, those that end after midnight, has increased considerably in recent years, negatively affecting players and fans and this circumstance is related to the increase in the average duration of matches on the circuit.
To try to minimize this circumstance, starting this January 2024, the ATP and WTA will begin to implement new rules related to match scheduling.
In this way there will be no more than five games per day per court (starting at 11 in the morning), with three games during the daytime session and two games during the afternoon session.
There will also be no matches after eleven p.m., unless approved by the tournament supervisor in consultation with ATP/WTA management. Matches that are not on the court initially assigned at 10:30 p.m. will be moved to another alternative, never later than 11:00 p.m., and night sessions will begin no later than 7:30 p.m., with a recommendation for 6:00 p.m. :30.
In exceptional circumstances, a tournament may request exemptions based on local cultural traditions, weather conditions or other extenuating situations, which will be considered by the ATP/WTA.
ATP and WTA are carrying out a strategic review of tennis balls used on tours. Historically, each individual tournament has had the ability to determine its own ball supplier or sponsor, which has led to potential inconsistencies of the balls used week to week, according to the ATP and WTA.
The intention is to "move towards a more coherent and centralized approach with the aim of offering players greater uniformity in the use of balls in tournaments and stricter certification and specification requirements to improve the final product, without negatively affect tournament revenues.
"Match scheduling and tennis balls are high on our agenda, along with the WTA. It is imperative that we evolve and adapt to the demands of the modern game, especially as it relates to player health and "We are optimistic about the impact we can have on both fronts, now and in the long term," said ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi.
For Steve Simon, president and CEO of the WTA, it is "important that these initiatives are fully aligned between the two circuits because they will allow tennis players to perform at their highest level, providing a better experience for fans and themselves."
