Being called a grass-court specialist may seem like a compliment (albeit a bit of a backhanded one), but it doesn’t do player a whole lot of good. We’re currently in the midst of the grass-court season, but unfortunately it only consists of a one month stretch on the ATP Tour. While it will get extended by a week beginning next year, a substantially longer grass season would be extremely beneficial for tennis.
There are currently six grass-court tournaments on the ATP schedule. However, because some of these tournaments are played during the same weeks, the most grass-court tournaments any player can play is four. Furthermore, many players prefer not to play tournaments in two straight weeks leading up to Wimbledon. This is particularly true for the top players, as they like to be well rested ahead of the grand slams. Thus, many players are realistically limited to playing three grass-court tournaments for the entire year. Hypothetically, if one player were to win every grass-court tournament, they would receive only 3,250 rankings points.
On the other hand, there is no shortage of clay-court tournaments. There are 22 such tournaments at the ATP level, spaced throughout the year. If one player were to win every clay-court tournament during the season, they would receive 10,250 ranking points (although players can obviously only play one tournament per week).
The number of tournaments contested on each surface has a drastic effect on the rankings, as clay-court specialists can load their schedules with clay-court tournaments. Meanwhile, grass-court specialists have no such ability to play the majority of their schedule on their preferred surface. With so few opportunities to make their mark, grass-court specialists are vulnerable to having their tournaments wasted by an untimely injury or a bad draw.
It is true that in 2015, the grass-court tournaments at Queens Club and Halle are going to be promoted to the 500 level, and the grass season will be extended by one week. However, it will still be considerably shorter than the clay-court season, and will still offer far fewer ranking points.
In one sense the disparity is rational, as more players around the world grow up playing on clay. Because grass-courts are so hard to maintain, few players have the opportunity to practice on grass on a consistent basis.
However, grass-courts provide a natural solution to many complaints people raise about the way the game is currently played. Critics claim too many players employ similar grinding styles, and there is not enough variety in the game. Additionally, many people believe there are not enough upsets. Grass-courts generally reward variety, power, and quick reflexes. They lead to shorter points and reward aggressive play. As we have already seen this week with Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, upsets are more common as well. One-handed backhands, often the most enjoyable shot to watch in tennis, tend to flourish on grass because of the lower bounce. The ATP Tour should look for ways to show off the top players’ talent, athleticism, and all-around skill set, and grass-courts provide the best opportunity to do so.
It is true there is no easy answer to where additional grass-court tournaments would fit in the schedule. Players would not be happy about frequently switching between the three surfaces, as each takes some getting used to when coming from something different. Some would complain if a big grass-court tournament (ie a Masters) was added in the middle of the hard court season.
It is easy to say one of the four North American Masters 1000s could be switched over to grass, but it is hard to find a natural fit. Out of all of them, Indian Wells could be a possibility. Tournament owner Larry Ellison seems committed to making it stand out amongst the Masters, and making it the only Masters tournament on grass would certainly help. It also is not directly before a grand slam, so players do not consider it a “tune up” tournament as they do the Cincinnati and Canadian Masters. It would certainly take some getting used to, but it could add to the event’s already growing popularity. Another possibility would be the post US Open European or Asian swing, as there are no more majors for players to worry about for the rest of the year.
It’s unrealistic to go back to playing multiple grand slams on grass, and playing one on grass is sufficient. But the game would certainly benefit by making grass more of a staple on the tour. Grass-court tennis simply comes with a little more prestige, sense of history, and excitement than the other surfaces, so why limit it to one month a year?
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