ATP adds two weeks to 2012, 2013 off-seasons (Roundup)

Nov 21, 2010, 18:06 GMT

London - The tennis off-season will stretch to seven weeks from 2012 onwards, with the gap between the last event in Paris and the season-ending championships eliminated, the governing body ATP announced on Sunday.

The new schedule adds two weeks to the current down time, with the calendar particularly crowded during the London Olympic year 2012.

The ruling comes after rising complaints about the minimal off-season for players.

'Our players will have an additional two weeks to spend away from the rigors of life on tour before taking up the cause again in the following year,' said ATP boss Adam Helfant during matches at the World Tour Finals. He said that 'dozens' of options were considered.

'I'm happy to say that these new calendars and the expanded off season reflect the broad consensus among our members that the players, and really the sport as a whole, needed a longer break.

'It didn't take long to find that consensus.'

Part of the time savings will come from scheduling four minor 250-point events the week after Wimbledon and staging three simultaneously during five other weeks spread through the year.

'We found a way to remove a week of 250 events during the latter part of our season, meaning after the US Open, and remove the off week between our Paris Masters 1000 event and the World Tour Finals,' said Helfant.

'We did by moving events earlier in the season without reducing the number of events on tour.'

Helfant called the decision a 'meaningful progress on a significant issue that has been facing the tour for a long time.'

Top players including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have led the battle to clear a bit more space on the calendar in hopes of allowing players more rest time and the opportunity to prepare for the next season.

A lawyer by training and temperament, Helfant stuck to the letter of the agreement concerning the issue of players engaging in charity exhibitions and practise matches during the off-season in which they are presumed to be resting.

Helfant would only specify that the current rules would remain in place.

'They currently have the ability to play special events, charity events, practice matches in their off season. There are certain times that they're not under our current rules, and we've not changed our rules,' he said. The possibility of restraining December charity event had drawn the ire of Andy Roddick, who engaged in a Sunday Twitter conversation on the subject and how any chance of rules might affect his charity foundation.

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