Daniil Medvedev calls for ATP Tour rescheduling

Hyderabad: World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev joined Stefanos Tsitsipas and other top players in opinioning that the ATP Tour calendar needs to be revisited.

Stefanos Tsitsipas had said that the ATP Tour should focus on scheduling even as the ATP has packed seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events across a span of a few weeks. Several players voiced their concerns over the playing calendar and four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz had said that the tight schedule takes a hit on players’ motivation levels.

Alcaraz added that while the scheduling makes it difficult to stay focused, it also increases the risk of injuries.

Medvedev, after beating Alex De Minaur at the ATP Finals in Turin, said the ATP Tour calendar needs to be refocused in such a way that Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events get prime importance.

Medvedev added that the lower-tier ATP 250 tournaments could be moved to an optional slot later in the year. “This year I only tried to play big tournaments. I think there should be more bigger, important tournaments, which should be like, ‘Okay, these are the tournaments where we define who is going to be top 10, like Masters 1000.’ You play good in them, you will be there. The schedule should somehow be around them,” he said after his win over De Minaur.

Medvedev added that the top-tier tournaments could be held in the first half of the year, ending around October. “Then you put all the 250s after for people that want to continue playing. If you’re good enough, you finish the season in whatever, October, play in the Masters. Don’t count the tournaments after. If you still feel like you need more points for Australian Open or more matches, you do it after,” he added.