Global Tennis of 2023 should further prosper
View(s):WTA and ATP has managed to sustain global tennis interest through the last three turbulent years. They also deserve the credit for tennis development over the last 50 years. Their influence into a fully fledged professional player development, attractive events and in reaching large global audiences, are propelling tennis. A good few sports have achieved this status.
From grassroot events, to the pinnacle of the global professional ranking, is a mammoth connected pyramid. It does not reveal itself until one get involved into it. From the early Greek times, sportive competitions were the engine of enthusiasm. The successful conclusion of the Football World Cup of 2022 Qatar is another proof of it. To many of the players Football has been poverty to prosperity road.
World Ranking
In any tennis conversation, names of dominating WTA and ATP players will pop up very quickly. Reaching these high end ranking is the goal of every professional player. Sports provide an interesting conversational alternative to wars, sinking economies, scandals and ‘what-nots’ of the social media.
Tennis, players viewing for prominence in 2023 will fall into few categories. First are the set prominent players already in the Top 10 of the world rankings. In this year’s end of WTA ranking, Iga Swiatek of Poland is No.1 and No.10 is former world No.1 Simona Halep. In men’s ranking, youngest world No.1 ever is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and the tenth position is with Herbert Hurcacz of Poland.
Challenges to Top 10
In the professional circuit, challenges to the top end players will appear from past prominent bounce back players of the last five years. In women, they are Kenin of USA, Osaka of Japan, Fernandez of Canada, Raducanu of England and a few others. In men, Zverev of Germany, Cilic of Croatia, Schwarzman of Argentina and Dimitrov of Bulgaria.
Next set to challenge the Top 10 will be from emerging talents, labelled as New-Gen players. They are fresh and energetic. In ATP, one such player has already become the No.1 – Carlos Alcaraz. Like him, many others are equally equipped are in the line up to uproot the Top 10. They are, Holger Rune of Denmark, Jannick Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti of Italy and Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda of the USA.
The next set to challenge the top end in WTA are emerging talents Amanda Animova of USA, Qinwen Zheng and Xiyu Wang of China another is Anatasia Potapova of Russia. Unless these players establish themselves with good wins, like that of Raducanu and Fernandez in the US Open of 2021, their names will fade away soon. Even Raducanu is struggling. She is 80 in the WTA ranking after being in the Top 10 a few months ago. She is too often in news with coaching issues than with good tennis results.
Stagnating local scenes
The global professional circuit keeps Tennis in the media with good events. Local events and players are never prominent in tennis. In the development years, it is a blessing to the players because media never sticks to good results only. A sad scenario hangs in many developing countries — Stagnation of Tennis Standards! Not that Europe and USA are cashing in on every talent. As players, we must remain committed to evolve. Regardless of the situation in the world. Development of cannot stop. As the player’s age advance development possibility and ability diminishes. This is the reality.
One of the requirements to reach the ATP and WTA ranking is to start playing in the qualifiers of the professional events ASAP. In tennis world, local and the lower group of ITF competitions are considers to be lollypop events. Meaning they are entertaining but fail in stimulating development. Often recommended to those ages from 14 to 16 as early tour life experience. Many professionals including the Williams sisters did not indulge in local tennis. In my opinion too long in it can spoil a player. The best option for us develop is the Indian circuit. It is in the same time zone, good quality international player gathering, culturally reasonably similar and not far from home.
ATP and WTA
Even with obstacles of past years, these two professional bodies have sustained their circuits. Disturbances of the last few years are unprecedented. They affected good events and comfort zone of players. Prospects for 2023 is not optimistic either. Sports will have to survive financial woes, wars, epidemic sicknesses and doping. Even after the successful FIFA World Cup, fingers are pointed at the host nation. Accountability of nations is political. Bringing it into sport will make sports political.
Merry Christmas and all the best in 2023.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA and ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880–