Novak Djokovic started his bid for an eighth Wimbledon title and a 25th Grand Slam victory with a hard-fought win against Wu Yibing in four sets, and will rest today before facing Stefanos Tsitsipas tomorrow Tuesday, July 1. In his press conference after the match, Djokovic surprised by talking lengthy and deeply about the things he considers that aren't working in modern tennis... including something that not many are talking about, like the inability of tennis to attract younger audiences.
Do tennis matches need to be shorter? Djokovic hinted that it may be the solution. "Young people might watch the Grand Slams, but they're not going to sit for four or five hours every day watching a match. Attention spans have changed, and we need to understand how the current market works", said Djokovic (via Punto de Break).
The 38-year-old Serbian explained that he will "always defend the tradition and history of this sport", but they need to ask themselves how to bring young people into tennis. "A few years ago, the PTPA conducted a study that revealed the average age of a tennis fan was 61. With all due respect, we need to attract a much younger audience".
Djokovic then proposed a series of changes that may be too radical, but could necessary for the long term health of the sport. "In my opinion, tournaments on the circuit should experiment with more dynamic formats, shorter matches, and more engaging offerings for the viewer. The Grand Slams are a different story, but outside of them, we must dare to innovate."
Djokovic slams the two-week long Masters 1,000 tournaments
Djokovic also spoke about a regular complaint within tennis players, the excruciating calendar, with more mandatory tournaments, and in particular the longer Masters 1,000 tournaments, which last up to two weeks. "I've always been against this format. From a commercial point of view, it generates more value, yes, but the question is: value for whom? Primarily for the tournament owners. (...) Those four extra days generate far more money for the tournaments than for the players themselves."