Novak Djokovic did not hide his frustration with the new tennis calendar format during his debut at the Masters 1000 in Rome, where he returned to competition after a long absence due to injury. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who has not played since his unexpected defeat to Jack Draper in the third round of Indian Wells, strongly criticized the change to tournaments that now take place over two weekends, a modification he considers a mistake for both the spectacle and the players.
In the press conference before his first match against young Croatian Dino Prizmic — the same athlete who eliminated him in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open — Djokovic did not hold back: “Personally, I don’t like this new format. I preferred the old one, where each Masters took place in one week, leaving only the Grand Slams spread over two weeks.” His dissatisfaction echoes the criticisms already voiced by other stars of the circuit, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who also believe that one-week tournaments provided a more intense and organized spectacle.
Tennis, according to Djokovic, has lost clarity and excitement with the new calendar. “In Monte Carlo, for example, we had a week-long event with spectacular first-round matches. If a seeded player was knocked out, the next match would still be a great showdown. The structure was clear: quarter-finals, then semi-finals on Saturday and the final on Sunday. Now, everything is diluted. In Cincinnati, the final is on Monday, in Toronto it could be Wednesday or Thursday, and it’s even difficult for us, the players, to understand when the final is. We’ve lost that rhythm, that tradition,” the Serbian lamented.
Despite his displeasure with the change, Djokovic expressed excitement about returning to Rome, where he has already won six titles and feels a special connection. “It’s fantastic to be back. I wanted to return earlier, but I needed more time to recover physically and prepare for Rome. I love this city and this tournament, where I have had a lot of success. My main goal on this surface is Roland Garros, where I want to arrive at my best level, but I also want to perform well here, although with more modest expectations.”
In the tournament draw, Djokovic finds himself on the opposite side to Jannik Sinner, which gives him a good opportunity to reach his first Masters final since the Miami Open in 2025, in a return that promises to shake up the circuit and challenge the new rules that have left fans and athletes alike in a frenzy.
Djokovic’s revolt is a clear sign that changes to the tennis calendar may be creating more problems than solutions, and his voice, one of the most influential in the sport, could be the catalyst for an urgent review of the format of major tournaments. The tennis world is watching, and the pressure to rethink the future of competition is only increasing.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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