Stefanos Tsitsipas Labels Extended Masters Events a “Backwards Move” Amid Scheduling Debate

Stefanos Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam finalist and runner-up at both the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open, has stated that extending ATP Masters 1,000 events to two weeks constitutes a “backwards move.” This comment comes amidst ongoing discussions concerning player scheduling and welfare; Tsitsipas has achieved 45 victories in 67 matches this season. Currently, five of the nine ATP Tour Masters events, which are the highest-ranked men’s tournaments after the Grand Slams, span 12 days. The tournaments in Cincinnati and Canada are scheduled to adopt this extended format starting next year. On his Served podcast, former world number one Andy Roddick commented that the extended Masters events are contributing to an increase in injuries, attributing this to players having reduced preparation time. Tsitsipas, representing Greece, characterized the Masters events as having “turned into a drag.” “The quality has definitely dropped,” stated Tsitsipas, who holds the 12th position in the world rankings. He elaborated, “Players aren’t getting the recovery or training time they need, with constant matches and no space for the intense work off the court.” Tsitsipas is one of several prominent players who have recently voiced concerns regarding what they perceive as increasingly unreasonable demands within the tennis schedule. Poland’s five-time major champion Iga Swiatek commented that there are “too many tournaments in the season,” while France’s Caroline Garcia discussed the mental impact of the “constant grind of tennis” after concluding her season prematurely. Britain’s Jack Draper expressed his concern that the current calendar will impede the “longevity” of the next generation of players. The debate has resurfaced following the conclusion of the ATP event in Paris, which remains one of the Masters tournaments held over a single week. Tsitsipas reiterated, “If the goal was to ease the calendar, extending every 1,000 to two weeks is a backwards move.” He added, “Sometimes it feels like they’re fixing what wasn’t broken.” In contrast, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has stated that the expansion of the 1,000 events has led to increased financial opportunities for a greater number of players and improved recovery time. “We recognise the concerns raised by some top players that longer events can introduce an element of fatigue or burnout related to being away from home for extended periods,” he conveyed in a statement to BBC Sport last month. He further added, “However, players ultimately have the autonomy to craft their own schedules based on their priorities – a freedom that comes with being independent contractors, unlike many other sports where players are bound by fixed schedules.”