Times advance, the world moves fast and the jungle of entertainment and entertainment is increasingly fierce. For years tennis has been making a powerful effort to modernize and adapt to the times, establishing itself as an attractive discipline for new audiences without losing its historical essence and betraying its fundamental values. All the governing entities of tennis have understood the importance of investing in logistical improvements, of increasing the prize money of the players and considering each event not only as a sports tournament, but also as an axis for the economy and society of the organizing country. Rain is the great historical enemy of tennis and in this Miami Open 2023 has made an appearance again, causing horrible consequences for players, fans and organization in one of the most crowded tracks in the world.
One of the great difficulties of tennis as a television product is the uncertainty regarding schedules. There is no other show whose start time cannot be predicted, depending on the development of the day and the duration of the previous matches, as well as the rain, in those tournaments that do not have a track with a retractable roof. A great effort has been made in this sense by the most important tournaments in the world, already counting the four Grand Slams with at least one court with the possibility of being covered, which supposes a certain relief in case of rainy days. Roland Garros, Wimbledon y US Open They only have a stadium with the ability to be covered, while in Australia It has three large courts with retractable roofs. What these three majors can do can be improved, but the need for change focuses on the Masters 1000 tournaments.
Of the 9 Masters 1000 on the ATP calendar, only two tournaments have a track with a retractable roof
And it is that it is not feasible that in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome, Canada (at its two locations, both Montreal and Toronto) and Cincinnati there is not a single covered track. The organizers’ argument is that the large investment required does not compensate for the low chances of rain that there are at times of the year when the tournaments are held, but it is not the first time that in Florida, Monaco and Italy we have seen a total reorganization of the tournament schedule due to schedules, reaching a final of the Roman tournament on Mondays a few years ago, due to the continuous rains. Fans who buy their tickets for these events are exposed to the risk of not being able to see the show they attend and the money return policy is very firm and usually contemplates non-refunds as soon as an hour of play is played throughout the day. .
Ignoring the case of Paris-Bercy that is played indoors, of the 9 Masters 1000 that are played on the ATP calendar, only the one with a retractable roof Shanghai, on a track, and the Mutua Madrid Open, in three stadiums, represents a clear aspect to be worked on by the highest entities of world tennis, which must be aware of the importance of ensuring that the matches are held. The chaos that is generated after a canceled day has a negative impact on both fans and tennis players, who are forced to overexert themselves physically and mentally with the uncertainty of whether they can go out on the court or not and the possibility of having to play two matches the next day. same day or with very little rest, starting at a competitive disadvantage with a rival who may have been able to compete before. Much work remains to be done.
