Emma Raducanu's former coach Mark Petchey suggests certain players are hypocritical regarding their views on the tennis calendar because they love to criticize the schedule but haven't said anything negative about the new Saudi Masters because there will be lots of money in play.
Top tennis stars describing the tennis calendar as full and loaded isn't anything new. And some of the harshest criticism has come from none other than world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who spoke out against the current calendar and schedule several times over the course of the year. In one of his interviews from two months ago, the six-time Grand Slam champion even openly admitted that there had been moments when he didn't want to go to a certain tournament, but was basically forced into doing it.
ADVERTISEMENT
So sometimes you dont want to go to tournaments, Im not gonna lie. I have been feeling this, you know, this feeling a few times already that I dont want to go to that tournament because I want to stay at home with my family or my friend," Alcaraz said in September.
Petchey: No one's grumbled about the Saudi Masters
Petchey, who worked with Raducanu between March and July, believes that by criticizing the ATP and the calendar, players are only harming their own brand.
"What I disagree with massively is that they have a seat at the table in terms of these discussions and they publicly go out and firebomb their own tour, which I think is completely unacceptable I think from a commercial point of view. And we haven't heard anything about putting on a new Masters 1000. No one's grumbled about that because there's a huge amount of dollars going into that tournament," Petchey said on Tennis Channel.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last month, some had an issue with Alcaraz going to the Six Kings Slam and playing an exhibition after previously slamming the schedule as too demanding. The world No. 1 defended his decision by noting that it was only a three-day event and something that didn't require much of his effort and energy.
