The ATP and WTA want to use new rules to reduce the number of tennis matches late into the night. The tennis player organizations also announced that they would ensure greater uniformity in the balls in the near future. Both topics have recently led to repeated discussions.
Due to criticism of the night sessions, the Australian Open will start on a Sunday (January 14th) for the first time this year. Last year, former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray complained after his match ended at 4:05 a.m. “It’s ridiculously late”said the Scot: “If my child was a ball child at the tournament and came home at five o’clock, we as parents would complain.”
Only five matches per course per day
“We are optimistic that we can make a difference on both fronts, now and in the longer term”said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi. In order to ensure more appropriate end times for the last matches of the match days, there should in future be no more than five games per day per course in the tournaments on the men’s and women’s tours. Two duels will take place during the night sessions. There are only exceptions in exceptional weather conditions and with the approval of the ATP/WTA.
Latest start: 11 p.m
If players cannot enter a court for their match by 10:30 p.m. at the latest, the game should be moved to another court and normally start by 11:00 p.m. at the latest. The player organizations stipulate that the night session should start at 7.30 p.m. at the latest, but recommend that the evening matches start at 6.30 p.m.
With the new rules, Alexander Zverev’s record match from Acapulco from 2022 should stand for now. The German number one only won the game against Jenson Brooksby at 4:55 a.m.
Goal: More similar Ball characteristics
A strategic review of the ball problem is also underway and should lead to changes from 2025. The characteristics of the gaming equipment should then be more similar without severely restricting the marketing possibilities of the tournaments.