WTA and ATP announce scheduling guidelines ahead of the Australian Open 2024 to prevent late-night finishes.
In order to prevent late-night finishes for the 2024 season, the ATP and WTA, the organizations that oversee men’s and women’s tennis, have announced scheduling requirements.
Tennis matches that start late, particularly at Grand Slams, have created scheduling issues for both organizers and spectators. In a joint statement, the ATP and WTA suggested that on matchdays, there be no more than two evening session matches per court, with a start time of 6:30 p.m. (local time) to prevent matches from extending into the next day.
The frequency of games that end after midnight has increased significantly in recent years, which is bad for both players and spectators. Days before the Australian Open 2024 got underway, on Tuesday, January 9, the ATP said that this was related to a rise in the length of average matches played on the circuit. In the recent past, a number of players have expressed problems with scheduling.
These rules will be put into effect in 2024 on a year-long trial basis, according to the ATP and WTA, with a review scheduled for the conclusion of the season.
The following actions were announced by the tennis bodies, who stated that event organizers will be advised to implement them starting in January 2024.
- Three matches are played during the day session and two during the evening session, for a maximum of five matches per day per court (beginning at 11 a.m.).
- After 11 p.m., no matches may continue on the court without permission from the WTA/ATP supervisor and WTA/ATP management.
- Matches that are not on the court by 10:30 p.m. will be transferred to a another court by 11 p.m. at the latest.
- Night sessions should start at 6:30 p.m., but no later than 7:30 p.m.
The ATP and WTA further said that waiver requests may only be made by tournament organizers in extreme cases stemming from local customs, meteorological conditions, or other mitigating considerations.
A REVIEW OF TENNIS BALLS
In the meantime, an examination of the tennis balls being used was also announced by the ATP and WTA in an effort to guarantee more consistency.
There may have been weekly variations in the balls used because in the past, each event was free to choose its own ball sponsor or supplier.
The goal is now for WTA and ATP to adopt a more unified and consistent strategy. The objective is to provide players with more ball consistency throughout tournament swings and to tighten certification and specification standards for an improved final product, all without negatively impacting tournament revenue streams.
