Five of the 12 Monday games at ATP and WTA China opens ended in the middle of mid-match, raising more questions about long-term sustainability of the tennis calendar.
The duration of the Deadness of Sports and the increase in requirements for compulsory events on the WTA tour consisted of a large part of the trial launched by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) against the sporting organs of sport in March. Players’ dissatisfaction has intensified on these changes, and he was again exhibited in Beijing after three of the eight female games and two of the four men finished prematurely.
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The favorite at home, Zheng Qinwen, retired against Linda Nosková de Cnoché in the third set of their match; Camila Osorio From Colombia did it after losing the first 6-0 set against the world No. 2 IGA świątek, and the French drink laws called it earlier in the second set against Emma Navarro in the United States.
On the male side, Jakub MenšĂk, also Czech, lasted only five games before retiring against Alex de Minaur in Australia, while Italy Lorenzo Musetti withdrew 3-0 in the third set against the young American learner Tien. One day earlier, Paula Badosa, Spain and Barbora KrejÄŤĂková, from CnochĂ©es, had to retire, against KarolĂna Muchová and McCartney Kessler of the United States.
The average retirement rate on ATP and WTA Tours between 1973 and 2019 (ATP) and 1975 and 2019 (WTA) was 1.92%, according to a study published in 2024. Five out of 11 is 45%.
After Osorio’s retirement sent her, Ĺ›wiÄ…tek said at a press conference that she could “have to choose certain tournaments and jump them, even if they are compulsory” in order to stay ready to compete at the highest level.
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“WTA with all these compulsory rules, they drove it crazy enough for us. I do not think that a better player will really be able to get there, playing the six 500 tournaments. It is simply impossible to press it in the calendar.
“I think we must be intelligent on this subject, not really worrying about the rules and thinking about what is healthy for us. Yes, it’s difficult.”
A WTA spokesperson refused to comment on the point of view of Ĺ›wiÄ…tek. Zheng, who pointed out that his return to tennis was exploratory after suffering an elbow operation and that she expected to feel pain, said that she would like to play this match to assess the amount of recovery necessary in my elbow “during her press conference.
There have been 10 compulsory events of 1,000 levels on the WTA tour since last season, of which Open China is one. Players should also play six events at 500. Neither świątek, nor his rival for world n ° 1, Aryna Sabalenka, last year fulfilled this requirement. They lost ranking points, and these losses led Sabalenka to exceed świątek at the top of the world ranking last fall.
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PTPA medical director, Dr. Robby Sikka, said by SMS that players exhausted towards the end of the season naturally led more retirement, but added: “The level of competition is more fierce than ever. There are really talented players throughout the draw – you see athletes in all sports improve, develop and push physical limits.
“It’s a bit of natural risk when you combine growing speed and power with end -of -season fatigue.”
China’s openings continue on Tuesday, with the female quarter-finals and male semi-finals. Play finished on Monday with Daniil Medvedev, beating Alexander Zverev, who recently took pain injections for his back.
After the last Wednesday of men, the Masters of Shanghai begin. Women’s China Open finished on Sunday, before the Wuhan Open, also a compulsory WTA 1000 event, begins the next day.
This article originally appeared in Athletics.
Tennis, female tennis
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