ATP chief urges players to ‘spend more time resting’ as Carlos Alcaraz plays exhibition matches after hectic schedule complaints
ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi downplayed arguments made by Carlos Alcaraz and other players about a hectic tennis calendar.
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Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X)
Carlos Alcaraz had slammed the tennis schedule as mandatory tournaments made it impossible for him to recharge his batteries. Despite such complaints, he has been seen at several exhibitions. Without taking anyone’s name, ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi urged the players to rest during the off-season instead of participating in the exhibition events.
Alcaraz had stated that tennis could ‘kill’ players, while Daniil Medvedev suggested moving ATP 250 events to an optional slot later in the year. Alexander Zverev, on the other hand, said a gruelling schedule puts the players at a high risk of injury. Gaudenzi downplayed such arguments and said tennis is not like other sports where the players are ’employed by a club’ and so they can ‘decide their schedule’.
Some players choose to do a lot of exhibitions off the tour. You don’t see that in other sports. The question is whether you want to invest on the tour or off the tour. Shorten the season? OK, but then you have to reduce the number of ATP 250 tournaments. Players can also decide to play fewer exhibitions and spend more time resting.
Andrea Gaudenzi told L’Equipe
Many sign up for exhibition events because of the huge prize money. Alcaraz himself admitted that the $6 million prize money attracted him to play at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh. The 21-year-old reached the final but lost to Jannik Sinner, who doesn’t think the schedule is hectic.
The 2025 season will start in the first week of January and will end in November with the ATP Finals like the 2024 season.
Carlos Alcaraz said exhibitions are different from ATP events
After making the tennis ‘is going to kill us in some way’ comment, Carlos Alcaraz stood by it when he heard that he had been criticized for participating in exhibition events. Alcaraz said playing on the ATP Tour is different from the unofficial events.
I have seen that many people talk about my calendar because I have put many exhibitions [in]. But you have to separate the calendar and the exhibitions. They are different things.
Carlos Alcaraz said in his press conference ahead of the China Open
Alcaraz, who admitted he was not motivated at certain times, went on to clinch the China Open. The win was one of his four wins of the 2024 season, two of which were his victories at the French Open and Wimbledon.
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Gouri Das
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