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Nightmare men's week in Madrid continues. Lehecka, who made the semis after a retirement by Medvedev, has to retire 6 games into his semi with Auger-Aliassime. FAA, who got walkovers from Sinner and Mensik, is into the final after finishing just three matches.
While Alcaraz finished his match then withdrew from Rome with recurrence of forearm injury. Rafa is coming back from surgery and Djokovic kind of hinted that he some sort of issue in Australia. Perhaps an ego bruise.
So, the numbers 2, 3 and 4 (maybe, probably not 1) in the world are all injured as we approach Roland Garros, the next major. And Rome, one of the more injury-prone surfaces on tour (playing in the rain, with slick/ nailed down tape, and clay that comes out in chunks underfoot) is just starting qualifiers.
The top-ranked players playing too many matches?
This is starting to feel like what's happening to the NBA this year.
The NBA had a problem called "Load Management". Star players would take off games, saying the 82 game regular season schedule, including back-to-back games, plus playoffs that lead to over 100 games, was too much. But ticket holders would be stuck with expensive tickets for matches where the stars sat on the bench. So, the NBA created new rules this year to "encourage" stars to play more games.
Suddenly, the bill has come home. The NBA playoffs just started and a majority of the teams have had their stars miss games with injuries -- Top seed Celtics, big trade for Porzingas worked until he went out with a calf. Philadelphia 76ers Embiid, is playing, limping around literally unable to run or jump. Another 7 footer that, like Embiid, is called the best player in the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his new partner through a big trade to make them win playoff games Damian Lillard, both out during first round games and now their team the Milwaukee Bucks is out.
Miami Heat? Biggest star, Jimmy Butler, missed entire first round and they lost.
And on and on.
Back to tennis, the "Premier League" that Craig Tilley wants to create, would force the top players to play more while the lower ranked would be shut out, er call that "relegated" in soccer style.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but this doesn't sound sustainable.
While Alcaraz finished his match then withdrew from Rome with recurrence of forearm injury. Rafa is coming back from surgery and Djokovic kind of hinted that he some sort of issue in Australia. Perhaps an ego bruise.
So, the numbers 2, 3 and 4 (maybe, probably not 1) in the world are all injured as we approach Roland Garros, the next major. And Rome, one of the more injury-prone surfaces on tour (playing in the rain, with slick/ nailed down tape, and clay that comes out in chunks underfoot) is just starting qualifiers.
The top-ranked players playing too many matches?
This is starting to feel like what's happening to the NBA this year.
The NBA had a problem called "Load Management". Star players would take off games, saying the 82 game regular season schedule, including back-to-back games, plus playoffs that lead to over 100 games, was too much. But ticket holders would be stuck with expensive tickets for matches where the stars sat on the bench. So, the NBA created new rules this year to "encourage" stars to play more games.
Suddenly, the bill has come home. The NBA playoffs just started and a majority of the teams have had their stars miss games with injuries -- Top seed Celtics, big trade for Porzingas worked until he went out with a calf. Philadelphia 76ers Embiid, is playing, limping around literally unable to run or jump. Another 7 footer that, like Embiid, is called the best player in the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his new partner through a big trade to make them win playoff games Damian Lillard, both out during first round games and now their team the Milwaukee Bucks is out.
Miami Heat? Biggest star, Jimmy Butler, missed entire first round and they lost.
And on and on.
Back to tennis, the "Premier League" that Craig Tilley wants to create, would force the top players to play more while the lower ranked would be shut out, er call that "relegated" in soccer style.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but this doesn't sound sustainable.
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