Taylor Fritz recently shared his thoughts on a potential breakaway rebel tour backed by Saudi Arabia. He held back from unequivocally supporting the rumoured competition, citing a major apprehension. The American wondered whether pledging allegiance to the new tour would affect participation in Grand Slams.
Speculations are rife that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund plans to launch a tennis tour to compete with the WTA and the ATP. The Gulf nation has already created a similar rebel league in golf called LIV Golf. Athletes who switched over to the new league were banned from taking part in PGA Tour events.
Fritz questioned whether tennis players would meet a similar fate if they joined the alleged mutinous tour, asking if the Grand Slams would ban them (via The Guardian). He refused to lend support, saying he could not do so until he knew the format and other details.
“If it happens, I think the biggest question mark is going to be if you compete on that tour, if you still are going to be able to play slams or not. We’ll see what happens. I can’t really say if it’s a good thing or not until you could see how they would structure the tour, how it would be.”
However, Fritz admitted that the current ATP and WTA tours need significant improvements.
“I do think the way the Tour is now, there are lots of things that could be improved.”
Fritz’s concerns are valid seeing how the PGA Tour ostracized golfers who joined LIV Golf. However, Grand Slams are autonomous and do not come under the purview of the ATP/WTA. Even if a Saudi Arabia-backed rebel tour does happen and the existing tours ban defectors, Grand Slams reserve the right to make their own decision to allow such players. Novak Djokovic and Fritz’s compatriot Jessica Pegula have spoken in favour of a tour opposing the WTA and the ATP.
Taylor Fritz approved the idea of an exclusive tour for the top players
Despite not outrightly siding with the rumoured rebel tour, Taylor Fritz supported the formation of a separate campaign for the higher-ranked players. There has been talk of an exclusive tour for the top WTA and ATP players. This elite tour would comprise only the four Grand Slams, 10 Masters events, and the season-ending championships.
Fritz was in favour of a special breakaway tour for the higher-ranked players which excluded other tournaments like 500s and 250s. Such a format would see the lower-ranked players compete in these events for a spot in the exclusive top-level tour. The World No.10 endorsed this idea, claiming it makes tennis easier to follow. He said fans will need to follow only these 14 big-name tournaments without having to keep track of lesser competitions. He said this will also help players manage schedules better.
The American’s support can seem a bit ironic, given only one of his six career titles is an ATP 1000 event. Fans were not thrilled with Fritz advocating the speculated elite league and he was forced to post a clarification. A possible Saudi Arabia-funded rebel tour has also invited the ire of fans. With multiple structural changes looming, the next couple of years will be crucial for tennis as a whole.
