ATP World Tour: The Case for Shortening the ATP Season

From the perspective of a tennis fan, be it the casual observer who tunes in solely for the four majors or the die hard fans getting up at 2:00am to tune in the tournaments held in the Asia-Pacific, the longer the tennis season runs, the better, right?

It seems blatantly obvious.  More matches, more drama, and of course more entertainment to take in.   Unfortunately, these qualities that make for a thrilling 11 month season for the fans may in fact be serving as a catalyst to severely degraded play by the time the post- US Open swing rolls around.  

In this article, I am going to discuss the merits of cutting down the schedule of the ATP season and why watching tennis would actually become a more enjoyable experience for all tennis fans alike.

If you are a fan of the NBA, NFL, MLB or the NHL, you know that the seasons for these sports typically last 5-8 months.  Without question, these are all physically demanding leagues that require an exorbitant amount of training and preparation.  

To add to this already vigorous environment, the travel requirements associated with these sports can prove to be a burden as teams are constantly trekking across the United States and, in some instances, Canada.   

Now, to place the ATP in relation with the four major sports in America, the ATP season spans 11 months, beginning in Brisbane in January and ending with Davis Cup in December (which technically isn't part of the ATP World Tour but the players who play in it are).  

Throughout these 11 months, players are not travelling from city to city but from country to country, hence the name ATP "World" Tour.   Kobe Bryant and the Lakers might play one night in Utah and the next night, make the flight to Dallas.   In contrast, John Isner, after exiting Wimbledon in 2011, flew across the Atlantic to play in Newport, Rhode Island, the very next week.  

To draw another contrast with the four major American sports, lets talk about salary or lack thereof in the case of tennis.  All athletes in the four major sports receive guaranteed pay regardless of performance or health.  

As any professional tennis player could probably tell you, there are no guaranteed paychecks or contracts with an owner of any sort.  Simply put,  If you are getting burned on the court, you are getting burned in the wallet as well.

The logistics surrounding these financial and travel concerns certainly place a hefty burden on players.   2011 was a perfect example of a handful of top players being worn down by the lengthy season.    Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal significantly slowed down following the US Open.   Neither was able to claim a title after their fierce battle in New York.

In addition, Djokovic was forced to retire in singles action against Juan Martin Del Potro in the Davis Cup Semifinals and was the victim in losses to deserving but inferior opponents: David Ferrer and Janko Tipsarevic in London.

Mardy Fish serves as another fine example of the occurrence of this late season decay seen on the ATP World Tour.  

After amassing a remarkable summer highlighted by conquering in Atlanta, Fish's presence following the US Open was virtually non-existent.  

Fish lost to Bernard Tomic in the opening round of the Shanghai Masters. He retired in consecutive matches against Juan Monaco and James Blake. He was virtually a non-factor at the ATP World Tour Finals, winning just two sets in three matches.

If the ATP were to cut the season by three months, I believe it would result in more loaded fields in Grand Slams and Master Series 1000 events.  That is to say that there would be more players in the top 20 consistently entering these events than there are now, seeing that injuries and fatigue often reduce these fields to much less than their potential.  

To this end, there were a record number of retirements in the 2011 US Open.

Players would surely be in much better physical and mental shape with a three month layoff in between seasons as they would have more time to allow their bodies to recuperate from the effects of a draining season.

One event that I can see dramatically being improved as a result of a shortened season is Davis Cup. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been known to avoid play in crucial Davis Cup ties for their countries.  

The bearings of their individual schedules often don't provide room to squeeze in a weekend of two best-three-out-of-five set matches (historically speaking, Federer has been much more reluctant than Nadal in playing Davis Cup ties.)

If we were to shorten the ATP season, top players such as Federer and Nadal would be more inclined to play for their countries and thus augment the already electric Davis Cup venues.  This is not to say that guys such as Federer and Nadal don't play Davis Cup as they both played in their country's most recent ties.

But instead of the occasional appearance, Federer and Nadal could become Davis Cup fixtures.  

In summary, a shorter season while producing less tennis would yield fresher players, more consistent draws and fewer health issues causing players to withdraw less frequently from the biggest events.   I personally would like to see less quantity and more quality from the ATP World Tour starting as soon as possible, for the sake of the players and fans alike.