Australian Open chief Craig Tiley concedes the worldwide tennis season is simply too lengthy however has dismissed solutions the primary grand slam of the 12 months must be rescheduled.
There are constantly calls to maneuver the Melbourne Park event to a distinct time of 12 months to keep away from Australia’s fierce warmth, condense the annual schedule and provides gamers extra time to arrange following the briefest of off-seasons.
Momentum for change is rising after a number of high-profile withdrawals, together with males’s No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, whereas girls’s high seed Iga Swiatek is amongst these to tug out of lead-in occasions because of niggling accidents.
Australian gun Alex de Minaur advised reporters it was “no secret” the tennis calendar was a protracted one, however relished the January begin.
Tiley slammed a NewsCorp report calling for the event’s rescheduling however conceded tennis organizers wanted to evaluate the season’s size.
“I did learn that, I assumed it was completely ridiculous – a weird declare,” Tiley stated on Monday.
“You discuss to each participant, that is the season. It begins in January. It begins right here in Australia.
“Alex has a very good level concerning the size of the season. The game must get collectively and take a look at the size of it.
“It finishes with Davis Cup late on the boys’s aspect and never as late on the ladies’s aspect however I do assume it is a lengthy season. We have been speaking about that for a very long time.
“However Australia is the summer season, Australia is January and this occasion is, from the gamers’ perspective, certainly one of their favourite locations to play.
“They’re coming right here earlier, we’re now seeing gamers right here for six weeks, for seven weeks and the preparation for the Australian summer season may be very normalised – they know what they should do.”
If Melbourne Park organizers are unwilling to budge, it might put stress on tennis authorities to push for the latter levels of the season to be wrapped up extra rapidly.
“It is no secret the 12 months’s a really lengthy 12 months,” de Minaur stated.
“You play tournaments all through the entire 12 months, you end fairly late. That is determined by your schedule and every thing.
“If there was a bit extra time for an low season, I am positive a variety of gamers would really like that. However on the similar time we’re sort of used to it.
“I’ve accomplished it for a pair years the place you end fairly late and you then get proper into the center of issues.
“There’s instances alongside the 12 months the place you possibly can select to take a bit of little bit of break day and that is in all probability the neatest factor to do. So I will be taking a look at that.”
Many rivals face a grueling change in situations, arriving from winter in Europe and america, however de Minaur stated it was as much as gamers to prepare their pre-season and acclimatise to the warmth.
De Minaur, primarily based in Spain, is amongst those that arrive in Australia early whereas others head to the Center East.
“I really like beginning my 12 months right here. There’s nothing higher than the Aussie summer season,” he stated.
“It is good and sizzling, us Aussies at the very least we thrive within the warmth and we’re able to kick off our 12 months with enjoying at residence.
“So for us it is superb. We like it.”
In the meantime, Tiley confirmed that for the primary time since 2020 gamers would now not be required to report optimistic COVID-19 exams however can be inspired to remain away if in poor health.
