Professional New Year reforms
South African Kevin Anderson announced, Tennis need reforms to go further. Anderson, ranked six in the world is the current vice president of the ATP Player Council. ATP is poised to introduce a Card-System for eligibility to enter events and to make Ranking system credible.
From this year only 750 players will be ranked and the eligibility play in events will be based on a Card system. A card will not be given but has to be earned. Not all the events will be offering ATP and WTA ranking points.
Kevin Anderson
Effects of changes
Image of Tennis in the world is not what it was some time ago. The player base has grown and the scope of the original design is unable to make Tennis attractive anymore. Anderson also says, not everybody will be happy about this, but is the right decision for the game.
On the event side, all the events will not be offering ranking points. All transitional events will not carry ranking points. This is a major shake-up. This could hit many players from lower end countries. As no player ranked in the 700 or 800 is making a living out of Tennis, ranking will end at 750. This to me make sense.
Card-System
A card-system will be somewhat in the lines of Golf uses currently, although not exactly. Anderson says, as the card will have to be earned, this is not the ideal for all but will be the best for the game.
One of the defects of the existing system is, it changes the World ranking, too frequently and too often causing inconsistencies. What more, it does not show the actual player ability to the extent it should. The current system served its time and now it not a good option for the game to be attractive and to evolve in the future.
How it will work
In the Card-System, players have to earn a card. It will not be given. Card will indicate which tournaments card holder can play. There are four card levels, Gold with 24 players, Silver with 16 players, Bronze with 16 players and Blue with 24 Players. Each card holder will get automatic invitations to their eligible events.When a player gets a card, he keeps it for 52 weeks. Once the 52 weeks are over, the player automatically gets a card from the lower level or higher, which again is valid for 52 weeks.Players have to earn a card with good performances. Players will get a Gold-Card if they in the top 16 in the world rankings, reaching quarterfinals of a Grand Slam and semi-finals of an ATP 1000.
Silver-Card, if they are in the top 32 in the world rankings or reached semi-finals of an ATP 500. The Bronze Card requires player to be in the top 48 in the world rankings and semi-finals of an ATP 250.
The Blue card needs a position in the top 64 of the rankings, should have reached quarterfinals of an ATP 250, winning two ATP Challengers. Card holders get priority entry into the main draw.
Top 80 ATP World Tour Card holders automatically qualify to the four Grand Slams and ATP Masters 1000 at Indian Wells and Miami. Masters events have 96-player draw. The system clearly defines to which events a player is eligible to play. The system covers event organisers requirement of including uninvited players.
ATP was formed in the seventies when the player need was overlooked and these reforms from them again is citing the same issue.
ATP, ITF Position
The two professional bodies WTA and ATP has been having differences for a good while with ITF. ITF was the only body for Tennis during the amateur era. It is not serving the professional need. Simple as that. Recent Davis Cup format change has made players rebellious.
Biggest of the complains came when ITF changed the Davis Cup format without consulting ATP players. It looks like Players are going to ignore Davis-Cup. In the professional world ATP and WTA are for individual rankings and performances. There will be an inter nation team championship ranking from them in 2020.
Tennis image for 2019
In many lower end countries Tennis playing facilities and the possibility to for individuals to improve the game is diminishing. Playing facilities is the burning issue. Tennis standard does not improve if players do not get to play many sets every week. This possibility comes to being only if courts and players are available freely. In many of the lower end countries this is not addressed at all. This local saga in countries has to change.
Clubs provided the mixed player congregation in many countries, these too, has ceased to exist. All these means there are no inlets to the Tennis highway. In short, today very few countries have the formula for Tennis popularity in place.
WTA has the best chance this year to be the popular and dominating with their big names, transitional player and new blood. ATP on the other hand is over dominated by older names and their infusion of fresh blood is feeble. ATP is banking on their new formula to revive their image. It is left to be seen. – All the very best for the New-Year.
George Paldano, Former int. player; Accredited Coach of German Federation; National coach Sri Lanka & Brunei, Davis-Cup, Federation Cup captain/coach– contact 94 77 544 8880 geodano2015@gmail.com -