Stan Wawrinka calls out Stefanos Tsitsipas after ‘backwards move’ comment
Stan Wawrinka has called out Stefanos Tsitsipas, after the Greek took to social media to criticise two week Masters 1000 tournaments after previously praising them.
Numerous Masters 1000 level tournaments have been expanded over the past couple of years, with the events being extended from one to two weeks.
This year Indian Wells, the Miami Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open and the Shanghai Masters all contained 96 players and took place in the longer format.
And there will even more two week Masters 1000 events in 2025, with the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters also being expanded.
These changes have drawn much criticism from both players and fans, and now Tsitsipas has taken to social media to show his disapproval.
“The two-week Masters 1000s have turned into a drag. The quality has definitely dropped,” Tsitsipas claimed on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Players aren’t getting the recovery or training time they need, with constant matches and no space for the intense work off the court.”
Tsitsipas continued, “It’s ironic that the @atptour committed to this format without knowing if it could actually improve the schedule, but the quality likewise. Paris got it right, done in a week. Exciting and easy to follow. Just how it’s supposed to be.
“If the goal was to ease the calendar, extending every 1000 to two weeks is a backwards move. Sometimes, it feels like they’re fixing what wasn’t broken.”
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) November 7, 2024
The only two Masters 1000 events that will remain as just a week in 2025 are the Monte Carlo Masters, which Tsitsipas has won three times, and the Paris Masters.
Despite echoing the sentiment of many on the ATP Tour, Tsitsipas’ social media post was responded to by three-time major winner Wawrinka.
The Swiss posted a video from 2022, when Tsitsipas was speaking to ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi about upcoming changes to the calendar.
One of those changes discussed was the expansion of Masters 1000 events, which Tsitsipas appeared to be onboard with at the time.
“In a way also that means that the top 100 players are provided good financial support for their efforts annually,” said the World No.12.
After having a mixed season of results in 2024, Tsitsipas has been unable to automatically qualify for the ATP Finals for the first time since 2018, but will still head to Turin as the second alternate.
Inside the baseline…
This is a very interesting topic and there appears to be a growing debate about the two week Masters 1000 tournaments. Although it is notable that Stefanos Tsitsipas has changed his opinions so dramatically on this issue, it is also understandable given that it has been two years and it is different hearing an idea in principal to reality. From a spectators point of view, two week Masters 1000 events are certainly less engaging and can be hard to follow, particularly at the joint ATP/WTA tournaments like Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
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