Stan Wawrinka has responded to Stefanos Tsitsipas after the world No. 12 criticized the ATP’s decision to extend its Masters 1000 tournaments to two weeks. Tsitsipas called the change a “backwards move” and expressed concern that the new schedule could reduce the quality of play, citing a lack of recovery and training time for players.
However, Wawrinka pointed out that Tsitsipas had previously given his approval for the extended format. Wawrinka shared a video from 2022, where ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi explained the new schedule to Tsitsipas, who appeared to agree with the plan at the time.
In the video, Gaudenzi explained that the goal of the changes was to strengthen the ATP’s premium events and attract more fans by making tournaments like Indian Wells and Miami last longer. Tsitsipas had asked Gaudenzi about changes to the calendar, and the ATP chairman outlined plans to expand the number of top-tier events.
This year, Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, and Shanghai were extended to two weeks. Starting in 2025, tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati will also follow this new format, leaving Monte Carlo and Paris as the only one-week Masters tournaments. Tsitsipas has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the extended schedule, particularly after the Paris Masters, where he criticized the longer events on social media.