REUTERS/Nir Elias (CHINA SPORT TENNIS) via Daylife
It’s official – the Grouchy Season has started.
Here’s Nadal complaining about the long season to reporters in Shanghai on Tuesday:
“It’s impossible to play 1st of January and finish 5th of December. It’s impossible to be here playing like what I did the last five years, playing a lot of matches and being all the time 100 percent without problems.”
Andy Roddick seconds that emotion:
“It’s ridiculous to think that you have a professional sport that doesn’t have a legitimate off season to rest, get healthy, and then train. I just feel sooner or later that common sense has to prevail.”
But Andy Roddick is not sure who in the ATP should step up and make the necessary changes:
“I certainly don’t see any other sporting leagues or federations following our lead as far as not being individually represented (i.e. through an autonomous players’ union.) I don’t know that it’s up to the players to be making business decisions about the schedule. At a certain point, I wish our input would be: ‘It’s got to be someone’s job to figure that out, right?’”
(Quotes via AP)
We already discussed the scheduling topic at GTT last week, after Roddick brought it up in Beijing. If GTT readers ruled the tennis world, most of us would push the Australian Open to Februray (sorry Aussies!) and add a couple more weeks between Wimbledon and the French. Feel free to chime in here or here.
Loading ...But until the powers that be decide to end the season after the US Open, there’s this week’s Shanghai Masters to be played. The tournament features 8 of the top 10 players in the world (who are those missing two, again?) and the most famous man in China, Marat “Tsar” Safin. I love this photo – check out the best Marat sign ever: “Marat Just Be Yourself!”
AP Photo/Andy Wong via Daylife
Safin beat fellow wild-card Gong Mao Xin in the first round and faces the winner of the Marin Cilic vs. Tomas Berdych match next.
Rafael Nadal is at the top of the draw, and will face James Blake in the second round (a rematch of last week’s three-setter in Beijing.) Fernando Verdasco is in his quarter and Juan Martin Del Potro and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are possible semifinal opponents.
Defending champion (and this weekend’s Beijing titlist), Novak Djokovic, anchors the draw. He could face Tommy Haas in the third round and Simon, Cilic or Safin are possible in the quarters. Roddick or Davydenko could await in the semis.
(Interesting tidbit I picked up from people who actually understand the points system: If Nole wins this week – admittedly a tough task – and Rafa loses before the quarterfinals, Novak’s ranking will go to No. 2. But the ranking would still be a toss up at the World Tour Finals.)
I’m thinking this is Del Potro’s to lose. What do you think?
Loading ...Time for some audio-visuals!
Here’s Andy Roddick, not saying but probably thinking: “Same sh*t, different day”:
I feel like James Blake is playing his own mini season right now. He has a new coach, played Rafa tough in Beijing and just scored a confidence-building first round win over Ivo Karlovic in Shanghai. He’ll get a second chance at Nadal in the second round this week. Compared to Roddick he’s bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.:
And the ATP’s preview:
Click here for the Shanghai Masters TV schedule (USA only.) For live streaming options, click here.
Tags: ATP, Blake, DelPotro, Nadal, Roddick, Shanghai Masters, tennis, Video of the Day
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The tennis season is too long. It should end in October. But a big part of it is managing a proper schedule too.
I love the photos of the Marat crowd. The “I want to stand with you on a mountain” poster made an appearance at his match.
Sorry FF, have to strongly disagree with moving AO back to Feb, people who usually suggest it are non-Aussies.
Domestically, moving the AO to Feb means that it would be competing with the Grand Prix season and the rest of the Melbourne events calender.
Not to mention, all the kids and school students who are able to attend during their Jan summer holidays would miss out.
The free-to-air network covering the event, Ch 7, devotes a whole month (day and night) to Brisbane, Sydney and the Australian Open, precisely because they’re able to hold off their normal programming in Jan. . This means comprehensive free coverage for non-Cable viewers. In Feb, it creates an awkward situation, and I’m afraid the smaller AO series tournaments would miss out on accessible free-to-air coverage.
Besides, schedule-wise it’s the FO/Wimbledon double that is the problem. But of course, they would never be moved because 1) Europeans can’t get enough of clay. 2) Wimbledon has a “tradition” that it starts 8 weeks before the first week of autumn. Or something equally pretentious and made-up.
Also it’s a bit of hypocritical that Rafa should be complaining about having to play from the 1st Jan to the 5th Dec when he’s signed himself up to play exhos on the 31st of Dec in Abu Dhabi this year.
But Dootisez, Roger himself has said he’d like the Australian in February! Are you saying he’s wrong???????
Just kidding – of course you make good points. I think there are very good reasons for most of the tournaments to stay scheduled as they are, which is why it’s highly probably that nothing will ever change. Perhaps it’s just that the number of required events needs to be adjusted. Of course then we’ll hear about how the events don’t get enough participation by the top players.
Or players who have a problem with the season can take a cue from Roger and schedule themselves appropriately. I don’t think Nadal should have played Beijing. Not with the injuries he’s had this year.
Of course Roger’s wrong. Didn’t he just prove he’s mortal after all by losing the USO? *so-not-bitter*
Moving the AO back to Fed won’t stop either Roger or Rafa from signing up to Abu Dhabi Cashcow Invitational. If AO was moved back to Feb, you bet more of the top players are going turn up in the Mid-East or Asia to play exhos or Qatar/Chennai. That’s just the way it is.
I’m not saying that there isn’t a problem, but clearly it’s a bit easy for the players to sit back and complain about the season being too long, then play a whole bunch of tournaments for extra cash.
err typo/freudian slip: that should read “moving the AO back to *Feb*, not *Fed*.
My fingers know 3 keys on the keyboard a little too well … *whistles*
HA! I can type Roger Federer faster than than my own name, I think!
I know it’s insane, watching how poorly Marat played against World#500++yesterday, but I still wish him win one more title… Probably Shanghai? Chinese Safinettes will go completely crazy. He can marry the whole country, probably including guys.
Haha! You know what, I feel like Safin’s going to have his “hair appointment” moment. You know, like after you schedule a hair cut and suddenly two days before your visit, your hair looks spectacular? He has to have that moment – maybe here, maybe in Bercy, where suddenly everything is going his way and he thinks, “huh, maybe I jumped the gun.”
I find it funny that the TV commentators are still saying its an “alleged” retirement. They just don’t believe it!
Notice that it’s only Nadal and Randy of late who have been bitching about the schedule. I’ll agree the schedule is long, but the ATP is not made up of only the top 10 players, it also includes another 1500 players or so, who depend on the fall season and all the other tourneys played throughout the year to survive on tour. If the year is too long, don’t over play, plan your schedule appropriately, say no to flying to the Roterdam’s, Quatar’s, Abu Dhabi’s etc etc of the world. The season is too long, but yet players are going to Abu Dhabi on Jan 31st to earn a million dollars for an exho?! Why does Oz have to move?! Why not Wimbledon?! Or MC?! Or the DC?!
And by the way, why wasn’t everyone up in arms when Roger played 96 matches in 2006, and all the other tourneys he played since 2003?
The season is far too long. Not only are injuries an issue, but when does a player get a chance to really take the time necessary to train and improve, either their skills or their bodies?
Fans are bored, players are grumpy. Everything after the USO is pretty antic-climactic. November and December should just be knocked from the calendar, and we should return to the formate where rankings are based on performances at some % of tourneys at each level rather than every single one.
That’s my rational side. But on the other hand, the players formed the ATP to give themselves power- technically, tennis players have more control over their sport than any union, so if they can’t make the changes they have only themselves to blame. And the reason is clear too- money. In hockey, with the long season and the players salaried (instead of paid-by-game) the players can blame “greedy” owners. In tennis, they ARE the owners: 4 legs good, 2 legs better…
And if Nadal wants to play exhibition tournaments he has no credibility on the issue.
What they’re really saying is, We are children who will chase candy whenever we see it. We need adults to put the candy out of reach.
lots of interesting points. i think if the players really don’t have enough power or say when it comes to the tour schedule, then they need to press for change, get into action. this is their profession after all. without the players, there would be no tour, no tennis to watch and no fans and sponsors to bring money in. it’s up to the players to manage their bodies and schedules, but if they don’t have any bargaining power when it comes to requirements, points, etc, then they need to find a way to make changes. less complaining, more action! anything they work on and decide on should involve not just those at the very top, but also some lower ranked players, because those players need to pay the bills, handle expenses and make a living, without big endorsement deals. requirements, points and scheduling may effect them even more because they aren’t necessarily wealthy like the superstars.
i will not believe that marat is retiring until he absolutely stops playing!
They could have the Year End Championship a few weeks after US Open and downgrade the following two Masters tournaments; that way top players could play the YEC and choose to skip the rest of the tournaments if they wanted to. Lower ranked players would have a chance to build up some points, which is not a bad thing. Then leave the Aussie as is and add at least another week between the French and Wimbledon. What do y’all think?
I think they could schedule the YEC for, say, next week. They could even sneak in a Masters or two after the US Open. Although the Paris/Shanghai double-header doesn’t seem as workable as Palm Springs/Indian Wells.
I think the season is too long and should end in October BUT I think there is a certain amount of self interest involved in these complaints. Why are none of the complainers outside of the top 10, top 100? I agree with Anonymous, there is a reason why the season is so long.
If the season is cut are these complainers willing to take less money for getting deep in a tournament? So that extra money can be given to those who go out at the earlier stages of the tournament? Will they accept lower appearances fees(top 2 players apparently get 1million euros), so that more money can go into prize money? Will they accept money being taken from the prize fund at bigger events to increase the prize funds at lesser events? If there are less events it is going to be harder for those ranked 150+ to earn a living.
It is up to a player to manage his schedule. If Nadal is so worried about burn out why is he playing so many matches? He doesn’t need to play all these singles tournaments, doubles matches, dc matches, exho’s. He sort out his schedule first before he whinges. I’m sure if he really wanted to he could find a doctor who would say he was too sick to play a tournament…
More and more Nadal seems to me to be about the appearance fees – he complains about the length of the season yet seems to play every tournament that god sends. If we assume conservatively he played 14 tournaments and got paid 1 million euro’s just for turning up at each one then that’s a heck of a lot of money before you factor in prize money and sponsorship. You can see why he doesn’t want to stop going to these events and wants the ATP to shorten the season.
Why aren’t the complainers lobbying for the return of carpet, an increase to the grass court season both of which much be much softer on the knees than a hard court. Why aren’t they lobbying for the standarisation of hard courts?
Instead of just complaining they should propose a solution that will benefit all players not just those in the top five.
“Instead of just complaining they should propose a solution that will benefit all players not just those in the top five.”
Well said!
Hey Guys, did you see James Martin’s article at tennis.com? Really interesting points about why the season is NOT too long and the players are just bellyaching. Here are some excerpts. And the link: http://www.tennis.com/features/general/features.aspx?id=188514
On the Abu Dhabi miracle cure:
“What’s been especially disappointing this week, in the middle of the Shanghai bitch fest, is that the players seem more clueless than ever. Take Nadal. While he said “it’s impossible to play 1st of January and finish 5th of December,” he has also announced that he’ll be competing in the Abu Dhabi exhibition at the beginning of next year before the Australian Open. (Roger Federer is also scheduled to compete there.) It’s not required that Rafa sign up for this event, though one can only guess that the folks at Abu Dhabi are offering up sizeable appearance fees that will probably go a long way in making a tired mind and body feel rejuvenated.”
On the grueling 25 week season:
“On the ATP tour, the pros are supposed to play eight of the nine Masters Series events (Monte Carlo is the exception) and four 500-level events (Monte Carlo can count toward this quota) throughout the year, with only one required to be after the U.S. Open. The Top 8-ranked players are also required to show up for the year-end World Tour Finals. Add to that the Grand Slams, at two weeks each, and the Davis Cup (4 times per season for teams that reach the final) and you’ve got a maximum tournament requirement of 25 weeks. Don’t know about you, but I’d fancy a work schedule like that. And this, of course, assumes that these players are getting deep into the second week of majors and going far in Davis Cup, which only a select few actually do.”
On diluting the Masters Series tournaments:
“But let’s say the ATP caved in to the top players’ demand and eliminated commitments for Masters Series events. What would happen to the tour? With players free to compete where and when they wanted, the Masters Series 1000—the crown jewel of the men’s tour—would be diluted. Rather than getting all the top players in one spot for a few weeks out of the year, these events would be just like all the others, with a couple stars mixed in with the rank-and-file. Without mandatory requirements, the bad old days of under-the-table appearance fees would probably return, and cowboy tournament organizers would lure players to their events without considering what’s best for men’s tennis.”
I still think the season is too long – for the FANS, not for the players. A tightened up season would make each tournament more relevant and more exciting. A longer off season would heighten the anticipation for “opening day.” It’s just toooo muchhhhhh tennnnisssss. (Sorry I’m a little burnt out right now, if you can’t you tell – Rafa, give me a call and we can bitch together!)
I know this is a little late comment, but I read an article on Tennis.com this mornig and it infuriated me. Basically it said the tennis season is really only 25 weeks long. HAH. Comparing the NBA and other sports to “mandatory obligations”. JEEZ.Duh. For one thing these are team sports, played within a country’s boundaries – not across the globe. And if I’m not mistaken – there is always talk about “too long seasons” in other pro sports, also. When you have a team sport – say you roll your ankle or pull a hamstring – there is always someone to take your place til you recoup. Not so in tennis. And this writer, forgets to mention the importance of small tourny’s. A lot of players feel an emotional and obligatory sense to play home, “first wins”, favored tournaments – even if they are not 1000’s or Slams. (Just think Monte Carlo and Hamburg-traditional tourny’s that got the shaft). I think there are enough strong and competitive players in today’s game to allow more flexibility. Every contest does not need RAFA,ROGER,MURRAY,DJOKY. In fact, in might make things more exciting and the impact on rankings could only benefit. OKay, done rambling – oh, except that IW and Miami are not Slams, and don’t need an entire month to screw up the season.