"The feedback has been sh*t" - Andy Roddick lashes out at 'stupid' 2-week schedule for Masters 1000 events, echoes Elena Rybakina's sentiments
Andy Roddick has lashed out at the two-week schedule for the ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 events, echoing the complaints voiced by players like Elena Rybakina and Grigor Dimitrov. The American also argued that the extended tournament schedules had contributed to the rise in injuries, since there wasn't enough time for players to rebuild their physical strength.
The tour's demanding schedule has been a bone of contention this season, with players like Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Daniil Medvedev, among others, raising complaints about the grueling calendar. Roddick has expressed his belief that the shift to two-week Masters 1000 events has only worsened this issue, placing additional strain on players.
Rybakina expressed a similar sentiment earlier this year, voicing her frustration with the "boring" consecutive two-week schedules for the Madrid Open and the Italian Open and lamenting being "forced" to compete. Dimitrov also aired his grievances with the "rough" schedule, disclosing that many players were "upset."
During a recent episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, the former World No. 1 echoed Elena Rybakina and Grigor Dimitrov's sentiments. He condemned the "stupid" two-week schedule for 1000 events on the ATP and WTA tours, highlighting the negative feedback from players.
"The two-week 1000’s are so stupid. They’re so stupid, they’re so dumb. It’s the worst, I hate it. I feel like more people got injured because you can’t do the work on off-weeks to build your body up physically. If you’re playing every other day, you can’t go and do the intense work. The players are saying this. The feedback has been sh*t," Andy Roddick said.
In contrast, Roddick praised the "fantastic" one-week run for the recently concluded Paris Masters, lambasting officials for developing the two-week scheduling plan that didn't help in easing the burden of the demanding calendar.
"Maybe you shouldn’t have committed the calendar to a long term vision of something that is not proven. And Paris was great, we finished in a week. It was fantastic," he said.
"All we’re trying to do is create some elbow room for the schedule and what do we do, 'Let’s make all the Masters 1000’s two weeks.' Oh that’ll help the calendar. Actions speak louder than words. There are no sh*ts given about the length of schedule," he added.
Andy Roddick shares his thoughts on WTA Finals being held in Saudi Arabia amid 'startling' attendance for Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina & others' matches
During the same podcast, Andy Roddick also shared his perspective on the 2024 WTA Finals being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, questioning whether players like Aryna Sabalenka should earn less simply because no other venue had emerged as a viable alternative.
"Should Sabalenka be making less because another market isn't stepping up to the plate financially?" Andy Roddick questioned.
Although he acknowledged the "startlingly" low attendance for the matches in Riyadh, the former World No. 1 argued that turnout alone shouldn't determine a tournament's success. Nevertheless, Roddick highlighted that competing in the atmosphere of a packed stadium served as great motivation for players.
"And do not base the success of an event based on who's there. A 100 (people in the crowd) is startling. Right. But if it was sold 80 percent through, then great. People in the seats is great for atmosphere. It's great for the players because you want to feel that buzz, you want to feel that it's an important event," he added.
While Elena Rybakina is out of contention for a place in the semifinals of the 2024 WTA Finals, Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen have sealed their spots in the final four. Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are vying to join them in the fight for the prestigious title as they gear up for their final group stage matches.