On Tuesday the ATP announced a series of new rules for the inaugural ATP Next Gen finals in Milan. It was an announcement that brought initial excitement before turning into utter dismay.
In recent years the governing body of men’s tennis has been heavily marketing their ‘Next Generation’ campaign. Their goal is to promote and develop the future stars of the men’s game, who will one day take over from Roger Federer and Co. In November, the inaugural Next Gen finals will take place, a concept similar to the year-end championships in London, but for players under the age of 21.
Seven of the highest ranked players, along with one wild card entrant, will participate in the million dollar event. It is the optimal opportunity for the sport to showcase their rising stars, but it seems that the ATP might be losing focus of their original goal.
“We’re excited to be bringing something new to the table with this event. The sports & entertainment landscape is changing rapidly, as are the ways in which fans are consuming our sport. This event is not only about the next generation of players, but also about the next generation of fans.” Said ATP CEO Kris Kermode.
Unlike other tournaments, there will be a series of new rules. Sets will be four games instead of six, there will be no-let calls and coaching will be allowed during certain points via headset. It is a series of new rules being trialled to make the sport appeal more current and appealing to fans. The thing is, do they have the support of players?
“I don’t like it, because it’s a sport. It’s a pretty special thing, I think, where you have to face the opponent without any help.” World No.7 Dominic Thiem said about the coaching rule.
On the other hand, the event does have the backing of world No.2 Novak Djokovic. The Serbian has publicly backed plans of introducing new things into the sport, but remains cautious about how well received they will be by fans and players.
“Tennis has to be open-minded for these kind of new potential changes, but there are some changes that are maybe reasonable and something that is acceptable by majority of the players; something that is maybe not as much.” Djokovic said in Rome earlier this week.
“I understand it’s really delicate, because you’re used to one kind of rules and ways of playing.”
A risky tactic
The decision of implementing these rules in this event has caused controversy. Focus will now be on how well these rules are received by the public. It is almost as if the ATP is using the event as their testing ground, figuring out what to do and what not to do. They can’t be criticised for wanting to try out new things, but why this event? A more viable approach would be to test it in lower level tournaments before implementing it in one where the world will be watching.
Within the next five years, the era of the ‘big four’ will be virtually coming to an end. Taking their place will be the likes of Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who is ranked 17th in the world at the age of 20.
“I’m excited about the event. I think the ATP has done a great job organising it, because we do have a strong group of guys who are playing great and who are getting up the rankings.” The German said about the new event.
Dedicated fans of the sport will follow Zverev’s progress in the future, but his wider appeal remains unknown. Milan provides an opportunity for Zverev and others to promote themselves. The intended purpose of the Next Gen finals. Unfortunately, with the implementation of these rules, the event now feels and looks more like an exhibition event. A shocking outcome for a tournament with a prize pool of US$ 1.275 million.
Change in sport in inevitable. Still, there is no point of changing things if the athletes aren’t given maximum exposure to fans. The ATP has taken a risk with their new format and it is one that might come back to haunt them in the future.
Top-100 players under the age of 21 (ATP only)
17. Alexander Zverev GER (age 20)
41. Borna Coric CRO (age 20)
54. Karen Khachanov RUS (age 20)
64. Daniil Medvedev RUS (age 21)
66. Hyeon Chung KOR (age 20)
65. Frances Tiafoe USA (age 19)
67. Yoshihito Nishioka JPA (age 21)
71. Jared Donaldson USA (age 20)
78. Ernesto Escobedo USA (age 20)
98. Thiago Monteiro BRA (age 22)
