While Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton are both on fire in Toronto, with Zverev booked for a semifinal showdown with Karen Khachanov on Wednesday, and Shelton set to collide with Alex de Minaur in a quarterfinal matchup tonight, neither player is happy with the two-week format of the National Bank Open.
Earlier in the week, Zverev joined the long list of players criticizing the extended two-week format of some Masters 1000 tournaments while speaking with Sam Querrey, John Isner, Steve Johnson, and Jack Sock on the Nothing Major Show.
“You have the nine Masters 1000 events, which are mandatory; most of them are two-week-long events now, except Monte-Carlo and Paris Bercy, which I think are the best two weeks now on the ATP calendar. I think for a fan and every single tennis player, Paris Bercy was awesome last year.
“You get there, you play your five matches, and you get out of there. You do not have to stick around or practice in between matches. That is how Masters events used to be, and I think all the players loved it.”
As Zverev explained, Alex de Minaur, for example, played his final match of the 2024 season in late November at the Davis Cup before then playing his first match of the United Cup in late December, giving him little time to recover before the 2025 season.
“I think this is one subject where the ATP has to really think about it and find a solution about it, and to be honest, I have not heard a single player say that they love the two-week Masters events.”
Ben Shelton Explains Challenges of Two-Week Masters 1000 Events
Despite the humid conditions in Toronto this week, Ben Shelton has continued to impress.
After picking up a straight-set win over Adrian Mannarino in the first round of the National Bank Open, Shelton secured a hard-fought win over fellow American Brandon Nakashima in the Round of 32.
Following a win over No. 13-seeded Flavio Cobolli on Sunday to secure a spot in the quarterfinals, Shelton spoke about the challenges of playing in a two-week Masters 1000 during his post-match press conference.
Much like Alexander Zverev, he too prefers the one-week format.
“The difficult part at these two week tournaments is you’re playing two set matches, three set matches and you’re getting a day off in between, which everyone talks about in the locker room now, the level of tennis suffers.
“The level is definitely higher in those one week tournaments when you’re playing two out of three sets and you’re playing back-to-back days you get into a consistent rhythm of playing. It’s tough with the start and stop, and I think that a combination of those things is probably what players are talking about and what’s throwing a lot of guys off.”
You can see his comments beginning at the 4:45 mark of the video below.
ATP Tour CEO Eager to Improve National Bank Open
Amid the talk surrounding the two-week Masters 1000 format, ATP Tour CEO Andrea Gaudenzi is eager to figure out how to improve the National Bank Open in Toronto.
In addition to the complaints from players regarding the two-week Masters 1000 tournaments, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic all notably skipped the event.
In the case of Alcaraz and Sinner, both players cited their recent Wimbledon final as the primary factor behind the decision.
Alcaraz skipped the tournament last year after a quarterfinal exit in 2023, while Djokovic hasn’t made an appearance in more than five years.
As reporter Arash Madani reported on Friday, Gaudenzi is eager to figure out how to improve the tournament going forward.
Whether those improvements include a change in schedule, only time will tell.
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