The second half of the tennis tour seems to be having concurrent issues with the scheduling of matches. The Canadian Open did not have a good finish in Montreal, as the schedule was out of place for the players. The Cincinnati Masters has become the latest event to fall into scheduling trouble. Elena Rybakina had to play past midnight in Montreal and then play the semifinal match on the same day.
Iga Swiatek has come out in support of more comfortable scheduling, saying that rest is more important and players can adjust to smaller courts rather than play late-night matches. Rybakina retired mid-match at Cincinnati as fans began speculating it was because of the schedule. She could not continue playing due to a shoulder injury.
Rybakina retires to Paolini at 6-4 2-5
Gutted for Elena
After a 3 & a half hour match last week that finished at 3 am, she just didn’t have anything left
When tennis isn’t taking care of their players, you know there’s something seriously wrong
See you soon, Lena.
🇰🇿🩵🇰🇿 pic.twitter.com/9363fQ8MnV
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 17, 2023
World No.1 explained, “Sometimes it is healthy to play earlier. I wouldn’t mind playing on Court Number two if I could just have a regular night and normal recovery after the match, because one match like that is fine, and I don’t mind it.”
The WTA players found support from the ATP tour as Novak Djokovic addressed the issue of late-night matches and why event organizers plan for these types of schedules.
Novak Djokovic also joins Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek
Djokovic has been seeing a lot of changes on tour since he started playing. He said that night sessions are always challenging for players to adjust to. The sudden change in schedule starts affecting the body as it takes time to adapt.
He mentioned that more events nowadays have started organizing night matches. Djokovic was against continuous night matches as they drain the player, but he was okay when it happened occasionally.
The Serbian spoke about the issue from the perspective of an organizer. He said, “It seems good for the players, maybe it’s not ideal, but you also have to find the balance to satisfy the fans. Tournaments are just looking for more profit and income.” (Via Daily Express). He said that the night sessions have their charm, and the crowd gets more enthusiastic during that time.
Rybakina will hope that her considerations are taken into account by the WTA. The organization has not yet replied to the players’ concerns so far. Late-night matches will be continued in events as it has become a tradition, but the schedule must give players time for recovery after every match.