by Ainsley It is obvious that the game of tennis has progressed over the past decades. The technology of the racquets, balls, and even the courts have changed over the years. We have computers calling lines in most matches and the fitness levels of the players have even changed.
I am wondering if y'all feel in the next 10 years there will be even more change within the game. Maybe more tournaments or maybe players deciding to play in less tournaments throughout the season. Will the point/rankings system be adjusted to take into consideration different court surfaces and other such measures?
What things do you think will change within the game in the next 10 years or so, if anything?
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dave g Electronic line calling will become an increasing part of the game, and players will start adding computer programmers to their team to help them find a way to hack the electronic line calling equipment to get more calls in their favor.
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Ainsley dave g wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:34 am
Electronic line calling will become an increasing part of the game, and players will start adding computer programmers to their team to help them find a way to hack the electronic line calling equipment to get more calls in their favor.
I also see computers becoming way more involved in the game. Whether that be with coaching or even in match coaching. The coaches already have at their disposal their phones , but I would not be surprised in the near future they will have computers with all the minute to minute stats and shot analysis of the game for the coach to analyze and give tips to their player while on court.
by ponchi101 You are late. At the Aussie, I forget who was the player but his team had a real time analyst in his box.
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Ainsley ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 2:52 am
You are late. At the Aussie, I forget who was the player but his team had a real time analyst in his box.
Definitely more and more players will be leaning that way in the next couple of years.
by Deuce ... And eventually, all matches will be played remotely on video screens while the players are relaxing in the comfort of their luxurious mansions...
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ponchi101 Ainsley wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 3:14 am
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 2:52 am
You are late. At the Aussie, I forget who was the player but his team had a real time analyst in his box.
Definitely more and more players will be leaning that way in the next couple of years.
It will, as much as I would hope it will not. Not only you will accept on court coaching, you will accept on court coaching from multiple coaches.
The sport will be less for that, and the player will have one more escape clause: "My coach told me to go into Djokovic's BH again and again that's why I lost".
No longer a one-on-one sport.
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Ainsley ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 3:47 pm
Ainsley wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 3:14 am
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 2:52 am
You are late. At the Aussie, I forget who was the player but his team had a real time analyst in his box.
Definitely more and more players will be leaning that way in the next couple of years.
It will, as much as I would hope it will not. Not only you will accept on court coaching, you will accept on court coaching from multiple coaches.
The sport will be less for that, and the player will have one more escape clause: "My coach told me to go into Djokovic's BH again and again that's why I lost".
No longer a one-on-one sport.
I agree with you. Getting some coaching in my 4 years during high school from my coach during my matches is one thing and I also feel college players should be allowed in match coaching and also Junior players. The professional players however have developed their games to a point where I think they should know those things or at least have done the work prior to playing an opponent to be fully prepared for a match.
by ashkor87 Soon AI bots will be playing instead of us humans.
by ponchi101 Yes. Caveats.
Edberg was playing with an 85 Sq In racket. Hard to blast the ball with that.
They were playing with natural gut. Not Luxilon and mono filament strings.
And no, that wasn't that slow. If they were to find the famous point between Agassi-Sampras in the 1985 USO final, which sealed the first set, you will see the amazing speed. But selecting Edberg as a basher of the ball is not really indicative.
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skatingfan ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 16, 2025 5:10 pm
Yes. Caveats.
Edberg was playing with an 85 Sq In racket. Hard to blast the ball with that.
They were playing with natural gut. Not Luxilon and mono filament strings.
And no, that wasn't that slow. If they were to find the famous point between Agassi-Sampras in the 1985 USO final, which sealed the first set, you will see the amazing speed. But selecting Edberg as a basher of the ball is not really indicative.
1995*
by ashkor87 I think 2 changes may come, soon
1. Elimination of second serve
2. More of the 4 game sets, no ad etc.
What would be really nice is
3. No more scheduling matches at high noon- global warming is real and will force this
4. Men play best of 3 till QFs, so fewer tedious early round marathons
5. Substitution of injured player, especially in majors..
6. Higher net except for under 12
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ti-amie ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:18 am
I think 2 changes may come, soon
1. Elimination of second serve
2. More of the 4 game sets, no ad etc.
What would be really nice is
3. No more scheduling matches at high noon- global warming is real and will force this
4. Men play best of 3 till QFs, so fewer tedious early round marathons
5. Substitution of injured player, especially in majors..
6. Higher net except for under 12
No more walkovers?!
This does happen in early rounds but would you want this in the QF's and Semi's of a Major or 1000?
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ashkor87 ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:32 am
This does happen in early rounds but would you want this in the QF's and Semi's of a Major or 1000?
good point, but I think a walkover in the finals would be really bad for the game...
by ashkor87 Sinner's ability to face down the young bucks like Atmane is as impressive as his ability to beat the top players..
by ashkor87 am looking forward to Paolini-Kudermetova.. my theory says Paolini should win, the court is fast and places a premium on speed and defense, but then Kudermetova's serve is awesome, next only to Rybakina's.. I wonder, not for the first time, what K is doing right this time that she didnt earlier..
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ti-amie ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 2:03 am
ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:32 am
This does happen in early rounds but would you want this in the QF's and Semi's of a Major or 1000?
good point, but I think a walkover in the finals would be really bad for the game...
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ashkor87 ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 2:07 am
am looking forward to Paolini-Kudermetova.. my theory says Paolini should win, the court is fast and places a premium on speed and defense, but then Kudermetova's serve is awesome, next only to Rybakina's.. I wonder, not for the first time, what K is doing right this time that she didnt earlier..
Sorry, wrong thread
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ponchi101 ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 2:03 am
ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:32 am
This does happen in early rounds but would you want this in the QF's and Semi's of a Major or 1000?
good point, but I think a walkover in the finals would be really bad for the game...
What do you mean by this? If the player is injured and it is going to give a WO, he gets substituted?
How would you even implement this? How do you choose the substitute?
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FredX ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:18 am
1. Elimination of second serve
What makes you think so? I know there are complaints about the slow pace of matches, I haven't heard any serious push for this, and it seems like it would downgrade the effectiveness of some players in preference for others, so I would think there would be some serious pushback.
by ponchi101 Eliminating the 2nd serve would be insane. Most ATP players win barely more than 50% of their second serves. On the WTA, you can see match after match where the players won less than 50% of their second serves. The number of breaks of serve would be too much.
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FredX ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 8:12 pm
Eliminating the 2nd serve would be insane. Most ATP players win barely more than 50% of their second serves. On the WTA, you can see match after match where the players won less than 50% of their second serves. The number of breaks of serve would be too much.
Right, and without the free points, it might make the matches last longer rather than speeding things up. Get rid of lets, keep second serves.
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FredX ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:18 am
4. Men play best of 3 till QFs, so fewer tedious early round marathons
6. Higher net except for under 12
I personally would hate instituting best-of-three to the quarterfinals. I know I'm spoiled by living close to a major, but if that were implemented, I would never be able to afford to see a five-set match live ever again.
The net was lowered back in 1880, so that would be a step backwards! Eliminate 2nd serve, higher nets...seems you want to negate the advantage of players who rely on their serve.
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ti-amie FredX wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 9:33 pm
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:18 am
4. Men play best of 3 till QFs, so fewer tedious early round marathons
6. Higher net except for under 12
I personally would hate instituting best-of-three to the quarterfinals. I know I'm spoiled by living close to a major, but if that were implemented, I would never be able to afford to see a five-set match live ever again.
The net was lowered back in 1880, so that would be a step backwards! Eliminate 2nd serve, higher nets...seems you want to negate the advantage of players who rely on their serve.
Agree. Ticket prices for this years US Open are astronomical.
by ponchi101 Remember one issue about tennis. It is played by millions around the world. So, if you raise the net for the pros, you raise the net for millions of us.
I already have enough problems getting my shots over this net. Add as little as 2 inches to it, and my frustration would quadruple.
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ponchi101 FredX wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 9:33 pm
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:18 am
4. Men play best of 3 till QFs, so fewer tedious early round marathons
6. Higher net except for under 12
I personally would hate instituting best-of-three to the quarterfinals. I know I'm spoiled by living close to a major, but if that were implemented, I would never be able to afford to see a five-set match live ever again.
The net was lowered back in 1880, so that would be a step backwards! Eliminate 2nd serve, higher nets...seems you want to negate the advantage of players who rely on their serve.
Didn't know this bit. Thanks.
by ashkor87 There are two perspectives to keep in mind- the fans and the players... from the players' point of view, not having to play in the heat is a no-brainer. Having to play 5 sets in the early rounds is also too tiring and causes injuries..
From the fans' POV, watching 5 set matches between two mediocre players, or between 2 unmatched players, is tedious. I never watch early round matches nowadays.
From the fans POV again, watching someone unleash thunderbolts - Kyrgios, Sampras, Perricard, etc is not fun, after a while, though the first couple of big aces could elicit 'oohs and aahs'.The game has tried to deal with it by making the courts slower - problem with that is it affects all parts of the game, not just the serve. I think fast courts reward people who can hit winners, which is good, so slowing them down is not a good idea. Taking away the second serve is the simplest solution, doesnt affect anything else. Again, I repeat, why should anyone get two chances just to get the ball in play? seems absurd.
The idea of substituting an injured player is entirely from the fans' pov, ofcourse. as to how, there are many ways that have been tried and work well - sets won, games won, whatever, one of the losing semifinalists can get promoted.One can even say the semifinalist who lost to the other finalist is NOT eligible - he has already had his shot. for example if Swiatek had been injured and unable to play the W finals, make it Anisimova versus Bencic. Atleast the fans will get a match.
Players are increaingly taller nowadays - Sinner would have been considered a monster about 20 years ago.. Laver was only 5' 9". Hence my suggestion that the net can be raised. I agree, it is too drastic, and affects all players, including me, and I am not where near 6 foot tall.
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FredX ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 11:49 pm
FredX wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 9:33 pm
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:18 am
4. Men play best of 3 till QFs, so fewer tedious early round marathons
6. Higher net except for under 12
I personally would hate instituting best-of-three to the quarterfinals. I know I'm spoiled by living close to a major, but if that were implemented, I would never be able to afford to see a five-set match live ever again.
The net was lowered back in 1880, so that would be a step backwards! Eliminate 2nd serve, higher nets...seems you want to negate the advantage of players who rely on their serve.
Didn't know this bit. Thanks.
It was originally 4 feet, 9 inches at the posts - that would certainly change things!
by FredX There are plenty of great five-set matches in the early rounds - both among evenly matched players stepping it up, as well as dramatic upsets or near upsets among players who aren't evenly matched on paper, and there are also plenty of boring, listless, or one-sided finals. And I don't buy the injury argument either - the average player in the top 100 plays what...6 five-set matches a year if they're lucky? Of course, the best players go deeper, but it's still a small percentage of their workload.
I think it's the most likely of those proposals to be implemented, however, because of scheduling at the slams. These 2 AM finishes have to go, and that's one way to do it.
Still, I don't see it happening. With the Masters-level tournaments expanding to two weeks and trying to muscle in on the slams, the five sets are part of what still sets them apart. I don't think they'll ditch it willingly, particularly since the ATP players don't seem to want it.
Taking away the second serve will transform all aspects of the game. Breaks of serve won't matter anywhere near as much, so it will take away those dramatic momentum shifts, because it will be about grinding away the most number of games rather than winning those important break point moments. It will eliminate aa whole category of players who rely on big serves, so playing styles will be more homogeneous - and forget about serve and volley points, we'll never see one of those ever again. It will be long rally after long rally, every point played the same.
by ponchi101 The best match at Wimbledon, on the men's side, was Carlos/Fabio in the first round. A fine 5 setter.
by ashkor87 My call for substitution in case of injury to a finalist...prophetic, eh,?
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ashkor87 ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 18, 2025 3:55 pm
The best match at Wimbledon, on the men's side, was Carlos/Fabio in the first round. A fine 5 setter.
Exception proves the rule! what about the other 63 matches?!
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ponchi101 ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 19, 2025 1:33 am
My call for substitution in case of injury to a finalist...prophetic, eh,?
Yes. But, how do you implement it? We are not saying that this is not a bummer. What would you have done yesterday? Call Atmane and tell him to play, starting at 0-5?
Sometimes you kick. Sometimes you get kicked.
by ashkor87 That is for the tour to figure out...but this situation would not have arisen if Sinner had pulled out before the match began. If there had been a plan B of the kind i described, he might have stood down, to give the fans a match. Might not, of course ..if it were me running through tour, i would make the plan B known in advance and asked the losing semifinalists to stay ready, for a fee. Thfetour finals does pay the alternate for doing nothing, so not unprecedented.
by ponchi101 Remember the year that Rafa beat Fritz in the Wimby quarters, and then had to W/O the semi? Even Fritz said that he would have not deserved to play the semi; he had lost.
A tough situation. And yesterday was pretty much an exception. The last MS1000 final that was not completed was (coincidence) the 2011 Cincy final, when Novak retired against Andy, trailing 6-4, 3-0. 14 years of nothing like this happening. You need a more frequent occurrence before you decide to start changing the rules.
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dryrunguy ti-amie wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 9:53 pm
Lucky shots...
