Nadal and Djokovic had their own proposals about how to change the ATP WTF. Djokovic wants to rotate the hosts more often whereas Nadal wants to rotate surfaces.
I strongly disagree with Nadal. Given there are no slams on indoor HC, it's only fair that the 5th most important event is played on indoor HC. About the host rotation, I'm not sure. London is a great host city for the WTF. Commercially attractive but also has tons of tennis fans unlike some commercially even more attractive Asian cities. And it seems the WTF host needs to be commercially attractive, I think e.g. Prague could be a great WTF host but it's not such a commercially attractive place as London or Shanghai. But as it's the 5th most important event, I think it should be in a place with strong tennis culture, like the UK. That's why I really wouldn't like to see it back to China. I think e.g. Germany, of slamless countries, would be good a WTF host. Germany lacks a big event and I think Berlin could be a cool host city.
Sometimes you can hear 5th slam or indoor slam proposals. I'd like it if one of outdoor HC slams was turned into an indoor slam. I don't like the idea of adding one more slam, yet could accept it if it was an indoor slam. But there's one problem. Think about the number of courts at slams. Where do you have an indoor tennis facility with so many courts, incl. 2 courts with over 10,000 seats? An indoor slam is very much impossible.
So, the WTF format is very much the only way to have a major indoor event. And I'd like to increase it's prestige, it should be the slam equivalent of indoor courts, de facto 5th slam. First of all, I'd bring back carpet to make it more unique. (In general I'd de-homogenize surfaces to make each surface more unique.) Also, I'd treat it like a 5th slam and award an undefeated champ with 2,000 points. And, like at slams, I'd have the play-off phase with best-of-five.
And there's one thing that I think would increase YECs prestige. I had threads about that on other ATP and WTA forums last year. It's to make the YECs a joint event like slams. Both forums were strongly against that, ATP forum saying WTF is great, don't have to endure WTA matches. WTA forum was saying YEC is great, WTA doesn't get overshadowed by ATP. But I think a joint YEC would make it a bigger event, giving more attention. I could see only one downside in a joint YEC, doubles would get less attention. What I like in the WTF is that you get to see lots of doubles matches, at slams there are usually simultaneously singles matches and the SF Thursday is selecting between women's singles and men's doubles. At the WTF, you don't have to select between watching singles or doubles. If the YEC were a joint event, then doubles should probably be played in another place as ATP & WTA singles would be already enough for one court. On the other hand, a joint YEC would enable Bo5 and rest days for the ATP, there would be WTA matches in those rest days like at slams. In a separate ATP WTF, you really can't have Bo5 (except for maybe final) as it would require rest days and you would have only doubles for those rest days.
But what are your thoughts about the YECs and the 5th slam proposals? Discuss!
I strongly disagree with Nadal. Given there are no slams on indoor HC, it's only fair that the 5th most important event is played on indoor HC. About the host rotation, I'm not sure. London is a great host city for the WTF. Commercially attractive but also has tons of tennis fans unlike some commercially even more attractive Asian cities. And it seems the WTF host needs to be commercially attractive, I think e.g. Prague could be a great WTF host but it's not such a commercially attractive place as London or Shanghai. But as it's the 5th most important event, I think it should be in a place with strong tennis culture, like the UK. That's why I really wouldn't like to see it back to China. I think e.g. Germany, of slamless countries, would be good a WTF host. Germany lacks a big event and I think Berlin could be a cool host city.
Sometimes you can hear 5th slam or indoor slam proposals. I'd like it if one of outdoor HC slams was turned into an indoor slam. I don't like the idea of adding one more slam, yet could accept it if it was an indoor slam. But there's one problem. Think about the number of courts at slams. Where do you have an indoor tennis facility with so many courts, incl. 2 courts with over 10,000 seats? An indoor slam is very much impossible.
So, the WTF format is very much the only way to have a major indoor event. And I'd like to increase it's prestige, it should be the slam equivalent of indoor courts, de facto 5th slam. First of all, I'd bring back carpet to make it more unique. (In general I'd de-homogenize surfaces to make each surface more unique.) Also, I'd treat it like a 5th slam and award an undefeated champ with 2,000 points. And, like at slams, I'd have the play-off phase with best-of-five.
And there's one thing that I think would increase YECs prestige. I had threads about that on other ATP and WTA forums last year. It's to make the YECs a joint event like slams. Both forums were strongly against that, ATP forum saying WTF is great, don't have to endure WTA matches. WTA forum was saying YEC is great, WTA doesn't get overshadowed by ATP. But I think a joint YEC would make it a bigger event, giving more attention. I could see only one downside in a joint YEC, doubles would get less attention. What I like in the WTF is that you get to see lots of doubles matches, at slams there are usually simultaneously singles matches and the SF Thursday is selecting between women's singles and men's doubles. At the WTF, you don't have to select between watching singles or doubles. If the YEC were a joint event, then doubles should probably be played in another place as ATP & WTA singles would be already enough for one court. On the other hand, a joint YEC would enable Bo5 and rest days for the ATP, there would be WTA matches in those rest days like at slams. In a separate ATP WTF, you really can't have Bo5 (except for maybe final) as it would require rest days and you would have only doubles for those rest days.
But what are your thoughts about the YECs and the 5th slam proposals? Discuss!
