The visibly exhausted tennis player Alex De Minaur was eliminated from Roland Garros this Thursday, taking the opportunity to advocate for a reduction in the tennis calendar. He warned that the lack of action could result in physical and mental wear and tear for the players.
The tennis season began in December with the United Cup, a mixed-team tournament, just 33 days after the Davis Cup final in Spain. The demands of the circuit have been the subject of increasing debate in recent years.
De Minaur, after his second-round defeat against Alexander Bublik, highlighted the lack of rest experienced by players. He pointed out that, in recent years, he has had only two days of rest after the Davis Cup, before starting the preseason and the new season.Nobody has the solution. But the solution is simple: we have to shorten the calendar, right?
Alex De Minaur
The Australian tennis player emphasized that the current calendar is endless, and that the only viable solution is to reduce the duration of the circuit. De Minaur warned that, if changes are not made, the careers of the players will be shortened due to mental exhaustion.
Casper Ruud, two-time Roland Garros finalist, also commented on the situation after his unexpected elimination on Wednesday. Ruud described the ATP ranking system as a “rat race.” The Norwegian tennis player explained that players feel obligated to participate in the mandatory events of the circuit, even if they are injured. The seventh seed, who lost to Nuno Borges, revealed that he had been dealing with knee pain.When asked if the tennis calendar makes it difficult to take time to fully recover from an injury, Ruud, 26, explained that players’ rankings are affected if they skip mandatory events.
Ruud also mentioned that the players’ year-end bonuses are reduced by 25% if they miss a mandatory event.It’s like a rat race when it comes to the rankings. You feel obliged to play because of certain rules that the ATP has established with the mandatory events. You feel like you lose a lot if you don’t show up and play… the punishments are quite harsh, in terms of everyone else will play, win points, and you won’t.
Casper Ruud
If you don’t play a mandatory event, 25% of your year-end bonus is cut. You are forcing players to show up injured or sick or whatever, when that’s not what I think is very fair.
Casper Ruud
