Serena Williams‘ coach Patrick Mouratoglou calls for a radical change in tennis as he fears that the sport will be dead without a revolution. The French coach believes that without any transformation tennis would not be able to attract more fans.
Mouratoglou has planned a new tournament with a different format called the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, which will begin on June 13. The Mouratoglou Academy will host the tournament, featuring 50 matches. The tournament will be held behind closed doors in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mouratoglou has also brought an interesting change in the game. The fans would be able to listen to the conversations between the players and their coaches.
Consequently, the fans would be more entertained and engrossed during the matches. Moreover, the players will have more freedom to express their emotions on the court.
“In these times it is necessary to renew” – Patrick Mouratoglou
Serena Williams’ coach also explained that tennis needs a profound change to survive and attract the new generation. “We need an NBA or American football style model or the attention of the crowd will decline,” he said in an interview as quoted by TennisWorld USA.
“It is an important idea, a change, regardless of the pandemic, necessary for a sport in danger and which it is no longer able to attract new generations,” he added.
“In these times it is mandatory to renew: ATP, WTA, and the Grand Slam boards are too conservative and do not accept the news,” said Mouratoglou.
He also explained that UTS is a long-term project, with a format similar to that of the ATP Next Gen Finals. Patrick suggested that too long matches decrease the attention of the crowd.
What do you think? Does tennis need a radical change?
