Changes to tennis Tour start times to combat late matches

The ATP and WTA, the two bodies that run the majority of men and women’s professional tennis respectively, introduced measures Tuesday aimed at minimising the scourge of late finishes.

Tennis tournaments have been plagued by matches that drag on long into the night, and even early morning.

The ATP and WTA said that no match on their Tours will now start after 11pm, while matches unable to start on the court before 10.30pm will be moved to an alternative court and evening sessions will start at 7.30pm at the latest.

“The number of late match finishes (defined as matches finishing after midnight) has risen considerably in recent years, negatively impacting players and fans,” the ATP and WTA said in a joint statement.

This is tied to an increase in average match length on Tour, they said.

But the measures will be introduced just for tournaments on the Tour circuits, which do not include the four Grand Slams, the highest-profile of the world’s professional tennis tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

The two bodies also announced a strategic review of tennis balls with the aim of eliminating potential inconsistencies of balls used week-on-week by introducing “tighter certification and specification requirements for an enhanced end-product”.

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AFP

(NAMPA / AFP)