Ahead of the US Open, Novak Djokovic sees and hears the criticism surrounding the two-week Masters 1000 tournaments.
The way he sees things, however, top players criticizing the format change should have gotten involved years back when the ATP & WTA Tours were considering the change.
While speaking with members of the press leading up to the 2025 US Open, the all-time great had some strong words for top players who could have been involved in the decision-making process at the time:
“I have noticed that a lot of top players have been quite opposing the new change of the almost two-week events, the Masters level. I support the players. But [at] the end of the day, when the players needed to be active and when there was a time of negotiations and decision-making, players weren’t participating enough.”
He continued:
“This is an ongoing story of the players, particularly top players. They express their feelings, but then when you really need to put in the time and the energy into conversations, meetings, which I know it’s very difficult. I have been there, trust me, many times. But it’s necessary because then, you know, you’re doing something not only for yourself but future generations, and you’re making the right moves, the right steps and contributing.”
As Djokovic notably stated during his press conference, the two-week format of Masters 1000 tournaments means players essentially have 12 unofficial Grand Slams per year.
Aryna Sabalenka Weighs in on ‘Crazy’ WTA schedule
Ahead of the US Open, Novak Djokovic isn’t the only player to voice frustrations with the two-week Masters 1000 tournaments.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was also quoted by The Athletic this week as saying that the schedule is, quote, “crazy”:
“The schedule is really intense and it’s crazy what they [are] trying to make us do because we’re humans, like it’s impossible to handle this intensity,” she said earlier this month. “Every week is a mandatory tournament and the schedule is crazy, honestly.”
Sabalenka’s comments, and Djokovic’s comments, notably come on the heels of Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev criticizing the format during the National Bank Open in Toronto earlier this month.
As Zverev pointed out, two-week Masters 1000 tournaments lead to players competing year-round with little time to recover before the start of a new season in January.
Djokovic Doesn’t See Change on the Horizon
While it seems clear that many of the top players on both the ATP and WTA sides don’t like the two-week Masters 1000 format, Novak Djokovic doesn’t foresee any change on the horizon.
As he explained to members of the press this week, the only way players will see change is if all of the Masters 1000 tournaments come together, and the odds of that happening seem pretty slim.
Tournaments have signed agreements with the ATP & WTA tours, planned around 12-day events, and even invested money in facilities all based on the new extended format, and the revenue that comes with it:
“[It won’t happen] unless all the Masters events come together and the ATP board on the tournament side is supportive of the idea of going back, which I really doubt.”
Djokovic’s quest to win at 25th Grand Slam will kick off on Sunday when he faces ATP Next-Gen finalist Learner Tien.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Novak Djokovic Has Strong Words for Top Players Unhappy With 2 Week M1000 Format appeared first on Heavy Sports.