Stan Wawrinka has referred to as out Stefanos Tsitsipas after the world No. 12 gave a stinging overview of the ATP’s prolonged two-week Masters 1000 tournaments.
The Greek star went on an impassioned rant in regards to the new format, claiming it was a “backwards transfer” and suggesting the tour dedicated to the schedule with out understanding if it will enhance high quality.
However Wawrinka has now dragged up Tsitsipas’ previous feedback in regards to the longer Masters 1000s, sharing a video wherein the world No. 12 was knowledgeable of the ATP’s plan by chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.
Following final week’s Paris Masters, Tsitsipas took to X (previously referred to as Twitter) to slam the ATP Tour for tweaking the format of their top-tier occasions.
This 12 months, the Masters 1000s in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and Shanghai have been all performed over two weeks. From 2025, the occasions in Canada and Cincinnati may even be held over an extended interval.
It’s going to go away Monte Carlo and Paris as the only real one-week Masters. And Tsitsipas is not proud of the schedule. “The 2-week Masters 1000s have became a drag. The standard has positively dropped. Gamers aren’t getting the restoration or coaching time they want, with fixed matches and no area for the extreme work off the courtroom,” he tweeted.
“It’s ironic that the @atptour dedicated to this format with out understanding if it may truly enhance the schedule, however the high quality likewise. Paris obtained it proper, accomplished in every week. Thrilling and straightforward to comply with. Simply the way it’s purported to be.
“If the aim was to ease the calendar, extending each 1000 to 2 weeks is a backwards transfer. Generally, it seems like they’re fixing what wasn’t damaged.”
Nevertheless, three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka has now pulled Tsitsipas up on his feedback. Shortly after Tsitsipas launched his scathing assault on the ATP, Wawrinka replied with a hyperlink to a YouTube video displaying Gaudenzi explaining the longer Masters schedule to the Greek star and receiving his approval.
Within the video, filmed on the Italian Open in 2022, the ATP chairman outlines the whole OneVision plan to Tsitsipas, together with the prolonged tournaments. “What modifications we could anticipate from the calendar?” Tsitsipas requested Gaudenzi within the footage.
The ATP boss replied: “The calendar is about strengthening the premium product, which is the primary curiosity for the followers, which is seeing the highest gamers within the high occasions within the high cities all over the world.
“So the concept is to develop them, just like Indian Wells and Miami, to a 96 [player] draw, 12 days.
“Then you definitely would have Madrid, Rome, two weeks, [followed by] two weeks. You’ve Shanghai, two weeks. You’ll have Canada and Cincy sharing three weeks. So we’re making an attempt to develop, giving extra days, extra prize cash, greater phases.”
Tsitsipas accepted of the concept, declaring the profit to lower-ranked gamers. “In a method additionally that implies that the highest 100 gamers are supplied good monetary help for his or her efforts yearly,” he mentioned.
Tsitsipas additionally requested how the tour would help smaller ATP 250 occasions that have been affected by the prolonged Masters, with Gaudenzi explaining that they might be moved whereas there would even be robust Challenger tournaments to enter.
On the finish of the video, which additionally coated different matters together with prize cash for gamers, mixed-gender tournaments and promotional content material, Tsitsipas accepted the plan.
“I like that concept. Discovering options for a greater future,” he mentioned after discussing non-live content material and publicity.