Stefanos Tsitsipas raises concerns over fitness challenges in longer tennis tournaments
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published May 14, 2024, 3:42 AM ISTStefanos Tsitsipas voices concern about the impact of extended Masters tournaments on player fitness and form, citing the recent struggles of top players like Alcaraz, Nadal, Djokovic, and Sinner.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has raised concerns about the toll longer, two-week Masters tournaments are taking on players' fitness and form, particularly highlighting the recent struggles of Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner.
Tsitsipas warns that the extended schedule is 'hurting' the sport, with players facing physical and mental challenges due to the demanding format. The debate over the length of Masters 1000 tournaments has intensified, as events like the Italian Open and Madrid Open now span almost a month.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Press Conference.
Monday May 13, 2024 in Rome, Italy
After Stef's 3rd round / R32 match win over Norrie
Italian Open ATP Masters 1000 claycourt tennis tournament.
Stef Tsitsi is brilliant as usual 💯😍 pic.twitter.com/KbPXTWDoNa
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Tsitsipas argues that the prolonged tournaments contribute to player injuries and fatigue, affecting the overall quality of the game. He emphasises the importance of top players participating in these events to maintain the excitement and integrity of the sport.
“Well, it is the way it is now. It's a type of thing that hurt the sport a little bit, to have these types of things happen to the highest of the players. Without them, the show is not kind of the same,” he said after reaching the last 16.
“You have obviously the guys behind them. These kinds of tournaments deserve names like this to be playing, active, have the opportunity to play in front of these big stadiums and crowds.”
Tsitsipas believes that the lack of big names in Rome could be a direct consequence of making players compete for longer. He continued: “I've spoken about the fact that the schedule has a big toll on our bodies. It starts from the mental side, and it follows to the physical side.
“The extension of the days in the Masters 1000s I think plays a massive role and contributes a lot to the fact that these players are getting injured. It was perhaps already a lot the way it was before with the seven-day events. Adding more days to that, well, you got to be some type of superhero to be consistent back-to-back 10 days in each event getting to the very end of it. It's not a very easy thing to do.”
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