Nadal wants ATP to change surfaces for Tour Finals
Rafael Nadal has called on ATP chiefs to be fairer to their star players by providing a different surface each year for their flagship World Tour Finals.
|Last Updated: Nov 04, 2013, 11:53 PM IST|Source: AFP
London: Rafael Nadal has called on ATP chiefs to be fairer to their star players by providing a different surface each year for their flagship World Tour Finals.
World number one Nadal is unhappy that the prestigious season-ending event has been staged indoors on hard courts for the last nine years, with the tournament held in Shanghai and then at London`s O2 Arena since 2009.
The Spaniard believes that is unfair to players who don`t thrive indoors but have already proved the class by qualifying for the eight-man competition by succeeding on a variety of surfaces throughout the year.
Speaking on Monday a pre-tournament press conference before his Tour Finals opener against compatriot David Ferrer on Tuesday, Nadal suggested playing the tournament outdoors on a different surface each year, giving clay, grass and hard court specialists at least one good chance to win every few years.
Asked why he has never prospered in the Tour Finals, the 13-time Grand Slam champion said: "It is not only fatigue. One of the small reasons was fatigue, one of the main reasons was I have never been a fantastic player on the indoor surface. Also I have been unlucky.
"The Tour Finals have been indoors from 2005 until now, so I am a bit unlucky with this. For me it is more fair to have it outdoors on different surfaces.
"In this tournament we qualify by playing on all surfaces, but the Tour Finals are always on hard courts."
Nadal insists he has no problems with the standard of the facilities in London or the quality of the tournament as a whole.
Still, it clearly grates on him that he has never won the Tour Finals, reaching the final just once in 2010 when he was defeated by six-time champion Roger Federer, whose game is far more suited to the quicker indoor conditions.
Given that the Tour Finals has been staged on either hard courts or carpet for all but one of its 43 editions, Nadal`s wish may never be granted.
It has never been played on clay -- eight-time French Open champion Nadal`s preferred surface -- and with the O2 Arena contracted to host the Tour Finals until at least 2015, there is no chance of any immediate change to an event which was last staged outdoors in Houston in 2004.
"I know it won`t happen in my generation. It`s not for me. I say it for the next generation and because it would be interesting for the fans," Nadal said.
"This is a great place to play, I have never been to a tournament with a better atmosphere, but that doesn`t mean the ATP can`t be a little bit more fair with the players.
"We could change every year to play it on the surfaces we qualify for the Finals.
"That means, for example, a good clay-court player would have the chance to play on his best surface."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.