The late-night scheduling at the Paris Masters is coming under fire once again after top Italian talent, Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to fatigue. Sinner had completed his marathon three hours and five-minute second-round victory over American Mackenzie McDonald at 2:40 am on Thursday. He was scheduled to play his third-round match on Friday afternoon, which is less than 24 hours after finishing his previous match in the early hours of the day. The quick turnaround proved too much for Sinner’s body as he announced his withdrawal, citing fatigue.

Jannik Sinner is facing the brunt of rigid tournament schedules. Although Sinner’s body is suffering due to this issue, he is not alone when it comes to the emotions he is feeling. Stan Wawrinka has been a long-time critic of late scheduling at ATP events, believing it puts undue physical strain on players. Sinner’s withdrawal has added weight to Wawrinka’s argument that late matches are detrimental to player recovery.

Jannik Sinner withdraws from Paris Masters due to fatigue

In response to the late finish of Jannik Sinner’s match, Wawrinka gave out a very potent message. He took to his Twitter (now X) and wrote,  “These kind of late matches destroy the players’ health,”. As a three-time Grand Slam champion, Wawrinka’s opinion carries influence and his public criticism of the schedule indicates a growing discontent among top players.

This is not the first time that scheduling issues have caused controversy in the Paris Masters. In 2021, world number 1 Novak Djokovic complained about finishing his semi-final match against Hubert Hurkacz at 12:30 a.m. local time. “It’s just one of those nights and one of those tournaments where you wish you could have finished the match in the better light and better conditions,” Djokovic said after the late finish (BBC). His concerns echoed the voices of many prominent players, like Wawrinka.

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Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal now adds a fresh element to this long-running scheduling debate. As a rising Next Gen star, the 22-year-old Sinner is seen as the future of men’s tennis. His health and well-being should be of utmost importance to organizers. But by scheduling matches so late and reducing recovery time, events like these are unnecessarily risking player safety. As ATP Player Council president Djokovic noted, late nights undermine the “better light and conditions” needed for optimum performance.

Ridiculous Paris Masters Scheduling Shows No Concern for Jannik Sinner as Inconsiderate Move Puts His Tournament Hopes in Jeopardy

Scheduling adjustments needed

In a tweet expressing sympathy for Jannik Sinner, tennis writer Jose Morgado opined that scheduling adjustments are desperately needed at ATP events like Paris (Morgado, Twitter). Players like Djokovic, Wawrinka and now Sinner withdrawing have highlighted flaws in late scheduling that prioritizes TV over athlete welfare.

With player health a growing concern, the ATP must work with tournaments to ensure reasonable turnarounds between matches. Starting semi-finals and finals earlier in the day would allow full recovery without compromising the fan viewing experience. If events like Paris Masters truly want to attract the world’s best players, they must consider scheduling changes to safeguard their health.

Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal has drawn renewed criticism towards scheduling practices that allowed such a quick turnaround following a grueling late finish. Legends like Wawrinka add their influential voices to the calls for reform. If the ATP wants to protect its Next Gen stars, it must work with tournaments to implement scheduling best practices that do not compromise player health or safety. Fans still get their tennis fixes without events risking the well-being of athletes. Reforms are necessary to strike a better balance between all stakeholders in the game. What do you think?

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