What are the new features in the tennis regulations to prevent matches from finishing at dawn?

Inside Paris Masters 1000 2023, one of the last events of last season, experienced something unprecedented. Jannik Sinner He reached the round of 16 by beating the American in three sets Mackenzie McDonald in a meeting that lasted two hours and 18 minutes which ended after 2.30 in the morning. That late closure led the Italian, world number one, to withdraw before the next match for not having had time to recover and sparked controversy.

This situation, increasingly frequent in recent years, has ended up convincing the ATP that it was time for a change and the organization that governs the men’s circuit, in collaboration with the WTA, announced it on Tuesday “new programming rules” of tournaments, to try to prevent this from happening again.

One of the most notable changes is the start time of night duels. According to the two organizations no matches will start after 11pm local time, except for some exceptions which will have to be studied by the supervisors and referees of the event. If that rule had been in place last year, Sinner, for example, would not have even taken the field, as his fight with McDonald began after midnight.

Among other measures, No more than five matches per day can be scheduled on the same field. and only two in the night sessions, which should start at 7.30pm at the latest (although it is advisable to do so at 6.30pm). Additionally, matches that did not start at 10.30pm will be moved to an alternative pitch so as not to breach the new start time limit.

The statement explains that, in exceptional circumstances, a tournament may require exceptions based on cultural tradition, weather conditions or any other situation, which will be assessed by the organization.

The new rules will come into force in 2024 and will be “on trial” for a year.

“Match scheduling was one of our priorities. It is imperative that we evolve and adapt to the demands of the modern game, particularly as it relates to player health and fan experience,” he said. Andrea Gaudenzipresident of the ATP.

“These initiatives will allow athletes to perform at the highest level, providing a better experience for both athletes and fans,” he added. Steve Simonhis WTA pair.

“My game ended at almost 3am this morning, which meant I only went to bed a few hours later. I had less than 12 hours to rest and prepare. “I have to do what I think is best for my health and my body,” Sinner said after announcing his retirement in Paris, 14 hours after beating McDonald.

“It’s crazy. The tournament doesn’t care and the ATP only follows what it wants. It’s always the same story”, the Swiss expressed his solidarity. Stan Wawrinka.

The Italians’ match wasn’t the only match that ended at dawn last year. In February, for example, Guido Pella he won against the Italian Andrea Vavassori making his debut in Cordoba ATP with a victory that took place at 1.30am in the Argentine morning. Also in Paris, Andrei Rublev he complained after the collision with Alex de Minaur for the quarter-finals it will end one hour after midnight.

“First I have to go to dinner, then treatment, go to the hotel, take a shower… I don’t know what time I’ll go to sleep, four or five in the morning? It’s crazy. Thanks” for the playing order. And I am part of the ATP players’ council… ATP, we are together”, commented ironically the Russian, who the next day lost to Novak Djokovic.

Andy Murray, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, also experienced firsthand what it was like to win in the middle of the night earlier that season. Inside Australian Open finally, the second round match against the locals Thanasi Kokkinakis It lasted five hours and forty-five minutes and It ended at 4:06 in the morning.

“I don’t know who will benefit from us playing at this time. Instead of being a Murray-Kokkinakis epic, it becomes a bit of a farce. It’s surprising that people stayed until the end. It is not beneficial to ball boy, nor for judges or staff. It’s not good for the spectators, it’s not good for the players. It’s something we’ve been talking about for many years: when you start a match so late and in these conditions, it’s normal for things like this to happen,” he commented at the time.

Months later, he continued: “It’s clearly wrong. And the reason is purely economic, it’s not because the people who run the tournaments think it’s good for the players, that’s not the case. They do it for economic reasons.”

The criticisms and complaints of the protagonists have had an effect and the ATP and the WTA, by mutual agreement, They approved a change to avoid those delays.

The two organizations also underlined that a strategic study on tennis balls is underway, with the aim of offering new balls of superior quality and reliability from 2025 onwards.