Stefanos Tsitisipas is the latest player to raise his voice against the ATP calendar’s demanding schedule, and he also gave a special shoutout to Novak Djokovic, who was one of the first big-name players to speak out on the issue.
In a long tweet, Tsitsipas outlined the necessary actions to address the situation. Furthermore, the Greek player labeled Djokovic as a “leader,” stating that a drive for a more “player-friendly schedule” is gaining steam.
“With leaders like Novak Djokovic stepping in, the push for a more player-friendly schedule is gaining traction. We players know better than anyone what’s needed, and now we’re in a unique position to negotiate these changes,” wrote Tsitsipas.
This can be seen as him indirectly talking about the Professional Tennis Players Association, which was founded by Djokovic and raised the same issue multiple times in the past.
Tsitsipas feels that hectic tennis schedules are pushing even the ‘best players to their limits.’ He then mentioned examples of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, who have discussed how traveling to different parts of the world throughout the season is both a mental and physical challenge.
“Tennis has always been a sport with deep roots, but those of us who play it know the demands of the year-round schedule. Endless flights across continents, the constant pressure to perform; it’s pushing even the best players to their limits.”
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Tennis has always been a sport with deep roots, but those of us who play it know the demands of the year-round schedule. It’s a topic that’s been discussed before, yet the need for change is more urgent now than…
— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) September 28, 2024
The PTPA has indeed received a lot of traction for taking a stand on this issue. That said, some players are skeptical about being associated with it, given the sensitive nature of the matter.
However, the scheduling issue has acquired significant momentum, with leading players like Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Iga Swiatek speaking out against it. It wouldn’t be surprising if it led to a significant shift in the tennis scene sooner rather than later.
