Calls for 'ridiculous' change to be scrapped after top tennis players quit in $48 million blow

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has joined angry fans in calling for immediate change to the jam-packed schedule and the scrapping of the controversial new two-week Masters tournaments. It comes in the wake of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz all withdrawing from the current Canadian Open.

Sinner and Alcaraz have also announced they won't be playing in Cincinnati next week, which is also a Masters 1000 event. The tournaments are among the biggest on the tennis calendar outside the four grand slams and both are worth around $24 million in prize money for the men and women.

Alcaraz has been sidelined with a wrist injury for months, while Sinner cited a knee issue that he wants to rest before the US Open. With Masters tournaments recently being expanded from one week in length to two, players have become more likely to withdraw due to injury concerns and the tight turnaround between events.

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The player-led PTPA said in a statement on Monday it was saddened but not surprised by the high-profile absences, pointing to reduced ‌recovery time between tournaments as a contributing factor. "The evidence is clear: the ​season is too long, recovery time is shrinking, and injuries are occurring earlier and becoming more severe," the PTPA said.

The player advocacy group ​urged the ATP and WTA to consider scrapping the new 12-day Masters 1000 format. "Short-term commercial interests cannot come at the expense of player health," they said. "Protecting players isn't ​just about today's competitors, it is about protecting the future of tennis."

Tennis fans unhappy over 'ridiculous' change

On social media, fans are also fuming about the extended Masters tournaments. Many have pointed out they're lacking serious star power and the events feel boring and too long with fewer matches each day.

One person wrote: "It's time to scrap the extended 2 week Masters and go back to weekly Masters with lesser draw size. We cannot have the two best players in this era miss so many events!"

Another commented: "Two week Masters events are ridiculous, even when they're in the same city. I've literally never heard from ANYONE who likes them."

While a third added: "There's zero reason for all eight quarter finalists to not play today. The two week masters format is truly the pits."

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