The German tennis star has a clear idea of how the top stars of the scene could get a little more rest.
Alexander Zverev sees a possible move by the ATP Tour to Saudi Arabia as an opportunity to reduce the pressure in top-level tennis. “Saudi Arabia has to be added to the calendar to make the season shorter,” said the world number two on the sidelines of the ATP Finals in Turin: “I know a bit about the politics behind it.”
With the money from the controversial kingdom, licenses from less important tournaments could be bought back, said Zverev, who is a member of the ATP players’ council. He expects four to five weeks that could be equalized by an event in Saudi Arabia.
The desert state has been investing heavily in hosting sporting events for years and recently caused a stir in tennis with the lucrative “Six Kings Slam” exhibition tournament in Riyadh. In addition, the WTA Finals were recently held in the capital, but there is no ATP tournament there yet. Critics accuse Saudi Arabia of using “sportswashing” to whitewash human rights violations.
The debate about the high pressure on professional tennis players has been smoldering for a long time. The season doesn’t end until next week with the Davis Cup Finals, which Zverev is skipping. The next season will then start as early as the end of December in Australia.
