Paris Masters slammed over ‘joke’ scheduling as Jannik Sinner withdraws after 2:30am finish

The world’s top players are becoming increasingly vocal about the issue of late-night scheduling, as demonstrated by French Open finalist Casper Ruud, who described a 2:37am finish at the Paris Masters as “a joke”.

This scheduling problem has been getting worse over the years, with average match times increasing each season. Ruud’s comment was in response to Jannik Sinner, who has been in top form with recent titles in Beijing and Vienna.

Sinner, after winning a late-night match against Mackenzie McDonald on Wednesday, was scheduled to play as the fourth match on Thursday, which would have started around 5pm local time. However, he did not return to the court and withdrew from the tournament due to fatigue.

Ruud expressed his dissatisfaction on social media, saying, “Bravo @atptour for helping one of the best players in the world recover and be as prepared as possible, finishing his previous match at 2:37 am this morning, leaving only 14.5 hours to recover… what a joke.”

The previous night, Sinner’s renowned coach Darren Cahill posted a photograph from the court with the caption, “2:45am. Happy for the Jannik win, but zero care for the players’ welfare with the Paris schedule.”

Sinner himself explained, “I finished the match when it was almost three in the morning and didn’t go to bed until a few hours later. I had less than 12 hours to rest and prepare for the next game. I have to make the right decision for my health and my body. The weeks ahead with the ATP Finals at home and the Davis Cup will be very important.”

Wednesday marked the second consecutive night with play in Paris finishing after 2am. The organizers of the Paris Masters have been attempting to fit six matches on their main court each day, starting at 11am.

However, the increasing duration of each match has resulted in alarmingly late finishes, not only in Paris. The most notable instance this season was in Melbourne in January when Andy Murray defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis at 4.05am.

Various experts have provided explanations for the increasing match duration, such as slower balls and court surfaces. Additionally, there are fewer easy opponents on the ATP Tour nowadays, as all players are extremely fit and well-conditioned, making it harder to finish points quickly.

The pressure surrounding this issue has led to some behind-the-scenes developments. Andrea Gaudenzi, CEO of the Association of Tennis Professionals, sent a note to players promising a debate on this matter in Turin in two weeks.

Gaudenzi stated that the ATP board will prioritize finding solutions to late-night finishes and the issue of inconsistent balls.

Last week, former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka pointed out that each of his last four tournaments used a different ball made by a different company. He expressed his disbelief on social media, saying, “Can’t believe in 2023 it’s still happening!”

Players argue that constantly adapting to different balls and surfaces each week increases the risk of injuries.

Sinner’s withdrawal in Paris means Alex de Minaur automatically advances to the quarter-finals, where he will face Andrey Rublev.

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