NextGen Finals director Daniel Vallverdu suggests removal of pre-match warmup and advantage rule to save time of fans

Hamad Medjedovic won the 2023 NextGen ATP Finals recently.

NextGen Finals director Daniel Vallverdu suggests removal of pre-match warmup and advantage rule to save time of fans

Daniel Vallverdu and Hamad Medjedovic (Sources: OnManorama/ATP)

The inception of the Masters NextGen in 2017 opened up a plethora of opportunities for young players, as it was made only for players under the age of 21. Players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who won the tournament previously, are currently dominating the tennis world. Thus, it is a brilliant platform for scouting new talents. 

One major element of the Masters NextGen is its norm of bringing unconventional changes suddenly. They make one such change every year, and in 2023, they eliminated the traditional pre-match warm-up.

This did not go well with many players. However, tournament director Daniel Vallverdu recently said in a press conference that it was actually for the good of fans and players alike. He said it enhances the experience of fans both on television and in the stands. 

FS Video
YouTube video
This can work in some tournaments when you know the precise time a match will start. But otherwise, even if players are used to warming up several times, without warming up on the court, you are forced to put greater intensity into your pre‐warm‐up before going on the court. Doing it several times at high intensity is not good for the player's body or their nervous system. But the idea is good.
Daniel Vallverdu (H/T: We Love Tennis)

Vallverdu said the practice of pre-match warm-ups was flawed to begin with. It works for some tournaments where the precise times the matches will start are known. In tournaments where that is not possible, it is not smart for the players to put in greater intensity in the pre-warm-up before heading into the main match. 

Daniel Vallverdu talks about a possible No-advantage rule in NextGen Masters 

Talking about the removal of pre-warmup, Vallverdu also said that often 15 or 20 minutes pass between the time the players enter the court and the start of the match. Thus, it would be best to find an in-between that would allow matches to start more quickly after the arrival of the players.

Daniel Vallverdu
Daniel Vallverdu (Source: Daily Mail)

Talking about another rule that has been in the talks but will be very difficult to execute is the no-advantage rule. 

The “no‐ad” (decisive point at 40A) is also difficult to envisage, it will inevitably be rejected by the players. 
Daniel Vallverdu

In the recently played NextGen ATP Finals 2023, Hamad Medjedovic won the title by defeating Arthur Fils in the final. Medjedovic has been under the mentorship of Novak Djokovic for quite a few years now. The Serb has been helping the youngster financially as well.

In case you missed it: