Later this year the US Open will become the first grand slam tournament in history to introduce a 25-second clock in the main draw.
The implementation of the clock in matches will be for players to monitor how long they take between points. Under current rules, the maximum they can take is 25 seconds. If players violate that rule multiple times they are subject to a penalty from the umpire. In the worst case scenario, repeat offenders can be docked an entire game in the match. The decision leads on from last year when the clock was first tried during the qualifying draw.
“We would like to keep the pace of play moving,” USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier told The New York Times. “That’s our goal.”
There will also be a stricter time limit at the start of the match. The first point must now be played no later than seven minutes after players first walk onto the court. Under the new guidelines, the time slot allows one minute for walking on the court until the coin toss, five minutes for the warm up followed by an additional minute before the first point is played. According to Widmaier, violators of the new rules could be fined up to $20,000.
Last year stop-clocks were used at the inaugural ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan. It was part of a series of new initiatives trailed at the event, which was won by South Korea’s Hyeon Chung. World No.4 Alexander Zverev, who spoke to reporters in Milan, was one of the first to support the implementation of clocks. Zverev didn’t participate in the tournament due to close proximity of the ATP Tour finals.
“I think the shot clock is a good thing. The Hawk-Eye calling all the lines, I like that, but a lot of the other things I’m not sure are going to happen.” He said.
On the other hand, Croatia’s Borna Coric has previously claimed that it placed extra pressure on the players during matches. Saying that he felt more tired after matches in Milan due to monitoring the clock.
“I didn’t want to get the warning,” Coric said last November. “Also my coach told me that sometimes I would serve and I had still 15 seconds left. So I just don’t like that pressure. I mean, it’s also good in some ways, because it does speed up the game. But I just need to get used to that so that maybe I can start my whole motion with seven or eight seconds left, not on maybe 15.”
There are currently no plans for the US Open to implement any other new rules. The tournament will get underway on August 27th.
