The former world number eight has made an urgent appeal to the ITF asking them to get rid of the transition tour.
The newly-created changes on the ITF tour has been met with heavy amounts of criticism with over 3,000 players already signing the petition to get rid of the tour.
As qualifying draws are getting smaller, rankings are dropping and junior players getting less opportunities at events, a heavy amount of outrage has been expressed towards the International Tennis Federation.
However the most high-profile speaker against the changes has been Janko Tipsarevic, who in a Facebook video has expressed his concern towards the changes.
The Serb said in the video that he is seeing so much pain and suffering from the players because of the changes, “The changes done by side of the ITF are doing nothing but destroying and ruining the sport,” Tipsarevic explained.
“I’m seeing so much pain and suffering from so many players, who are at a lower-level in their careers, who are unable to compete at tournaments. Secondly, Tennis is about simplicity and to extend our fanbase we need to get people involved, we don’t need to confuse them with two different ranking systems.”
The ITF currently have their own ITF ranking system which is now being used for those players to enter the main draw of futures events without qualifying. This can lead to players who are 500-600 in the world getting into the draw while players who are in the top 250 still having to qualify.
Speaking of qualifying, Tipsarevic explains is that the qualifying needs to be extended at these events in order to make our sport more inclusive, “The more important thing is open up the damn qualies,” he stated.
“Open up the qualies so we can give young players and juniors, who are suffering so much with the inability to compete, to compete and just to play tennis.
“The ITF is not only reducing players but on a longer stretch who will be involved in Tennis. Less players. Less coaches. Less fitness trainers. Less physio’s. Less everything. Because players are losing the will to have this dream.”
It is clear that the ITF is facing huge amounts of pressure to reverse their reforms to make Tennis a more inclusive sport and for it to appeal to everyone.
As it stands though frustrated players will have to wait as the ITF seem keen on sticking with this principal that they believe in.
