Jannik Sinner argues that expanding North America’s two Masters 1000 tournaments makes it harder for players to follow the schedule and that one-week tournaments are better for players.
This year, both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open have been expanded to 12 days. Under the new format, the mixed tournament does not start on Monday or end on a Sunday like usual. The men’s final in Toronto was held on a Thursday and the Cincinnati title match will take place on Monday. Supporters of the expansion argue that it gives more playing opportunities to those ranked lower in the standings.
However, not everybody is in favor of the new move, with world No. 1 Sinner saying he prefers the structure of one-week tournaments, such as the Monte Carlo Masters. Sinner will play Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati final tomorrow in what will be their first clash since Wimbledon last month.
“It’s a question that’s quite irrelevant now to answer because we are in that position,” Sinner said of the format after beating Terence Atmane in the semi-finals.
“My personal view…I love the one-week events. I love it when you see that the tournament in Monaco, for example, you have for Monte Carlo, you have this one-week event, and you have the first-round matches, which are incredibly good. And if one good seeded-player loses, the next match is an incredible match still, and you have the quarterfinals and you know exactly when you buy the tickets.”
One benefit for Sinner is that under the new schedule, he has a day off before facing Alcaraz in the final, which wouldn’t have been the case in the past. The 24-year-old agrees this is a positive, but adds there are also drawbacks too.
“You have the quarterfinals and then you have the semi-final, which is Saturday, and then you have finally Sunday. And now I lost a little bit of the view of when does actually a finalist [plays], because it used to be always Sunday,” he said.
“Now, here (in Cincinnati) it’s Monday. In Toronto, it’s Wednesday or Thursday. So it’s difficult even for us players. We lose a little bit of the days of the week, I would say.”
This is not the first time that Sinner has voiced his support for one-week events. Earlier this month, he told reporters in Canada he preferred playing seven-day tournaments because ‘it’s something he likes.’
The 12-day Masters format originated from the ATP’s ‘OneVision’ plan and was presented as an opportunity to ‘pursue new growth and focus on what matters the most: fans,‘ according to The Athletic.
In a recent interview, ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi insists the new format is enabling tournaments to develop and become better.
“The shift to a 12-day format gave tournaments the time, stability and confidence they needed to think bigger — and what’s happening in Cincinnati is a perfect example,” Gaudenzi told atptour.com.
“Just look at what’s happening: record bonus pools, nine-figure infrastructure projects in Rome, Madrid, Shanghai, Cincinnati. None of this happens without the breathing room provided by the 12-day window. It’s allowed promoters to reinvest and enabled a 50-50 share of profits. That’s money flowing straight back to the locker room.” He later added.
The ATP recently announced that an additional $18.3M in prize money will be paid to players based on their performances at last year’s nine Masters 1000 tournaments under a profit-sharing plan introduced in 2022.
