Rafael Nadal Supports ATP-WTA Merger Idea Floated By Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal has become the latest and the biggest name to rally behind Roger Federer’s call for merger of the WTA and the ATP. Earlier today, Federer had opened a can of worms when he suggested that the two organizations should think of uniting.

In fact, he gave pretty solid reasons for his argument. Roger highlighted the practical loopholes in running a system which was so fragmented. Having three separate bodies in the ATP, WTA and the ITF makes the revenue structure scattered and often leads to conflicting calls between the respective bodies.

Most recently, both the ATP and the WTA gave differing signals even during a crisis as huge as the Coronavirus. As per Roger, the decision making could be made more simple and uniform if this decision is implemented. He has received a big thumbs up from his arch-rival and dear friend Rafael Nadal.

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What did Rafael Nadal say? 

Rafael Nadal took to Twitter for announcing his support for Roger Federer’s idea. Rafa revealed that the two have already had discussions amongst themselves to suggest this move to the powers that be. That’s why his support of the decision should not be a matter of question.

Rafa was not the only one delighted by this suggestion. Stars like Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep and Belinda Bencic have lent their support. Tennis legend Billie Jean King also revealed that she has been pushing for this reform since the 1970s.

Whether or not this is beneficial for women’s tennis has been debated over the years. While some believe that the presence of WTA provides the scope for individual attention to the women stars and their development, others think that this leads to their sidelining and lack of revenue because of much less viewers.

The optics of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer pushing for a reform are just too hard to ignore. Even if they have to push it down, the governing authorities can’t turn a blind eye. Who knows, this might even be in the pipeline and the two stars tweeting a part of the PR. New things might await tennis one the lockdown ends. We might finally see the breaking down of the torn structure and a sense of unity. What do you think about this reform?