Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal warn game administrators over rule changes
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have appreciated innovation in tennis but they also alerted the game’s administrators not to do too many changes to the current format. Federer admitted that there are positives and negatives to the changes but he doesn't want to see anything change on the Tour.
The tennis administrators proposed a series of rule changes and the new rules were introduced on a trial basis at the Next Generation ATP Finals in Milan in which the world's top 21-and-under singles players participated. The management targeted the new and younger fans and for them, they aimed at creating a high-tempo and TV-friendly product. The new rules include a shorter format with first-to-four-games sets (tie-break at 3-3), a shorter warm-up, a 25-second shot clock used between points, no line judges, player coaching, and no doubles lines on the court.
Federer, who is in London for the ATP Finals, talked about the new changes and said that he had enjoyed watching the matches on TV but suggested management to take caution.
"We need to think, take seriously all these rule changes if ever you're going to do it because once you do it you don't want to bounce back and forth with changing something and then you don't like it later on," said the Swiss world number two, Federer said as quoted by AFP.
"I don't see that much wrong with our Tour right now that it needs that much fixing, especially the shorter sets. I know it can be somewhat intriguing but at the same time the longer sets allow you to stretch a lead, it's more comfortable at times.
"You can try different things. You can work on stuff, whereas if every point counts so much... there's no room for anything anymore. There are positives and negatives to it but I don't want to see anything change on the Tour that much, to be honest."
Nadal also opined about the new developments as he said was good to try new things but personally, he is not in the favor of it.
"There are a couple of things that I like and a couple of things I don't like but nothing is perfect. We are in a sport where we have a big tradition -- not many changes have been made in all of its
The Spaniard used the instance of net height which has stayed the same despite taller players in the modern era. But the 16-time Grand Slam champion, who looks likely to play in London despite an injury scare, said he was happy with how things are going for him.
"If you asked me 'do you want changes?' I will say 'no'. I am number one in the world, I have achieved a lot of things but if the game needs something to be more attractive for the fans, that's the way that the game will move forward.
"It's not my job. The people who run the sport have to look around and take the right decisions to make our sport even more interesting than it is today. I'm happy with how it is but maybe in the future, you need to do something," he said.
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