"The Real Problem with the Calendar? Exhibitions!": Kafelnikov Sharply Corrects Tim Henman
The discussion seemed harmless. Tim Henman had just analyzed the frenetic pace of the ATP calendar, denouncing the proliferation of "unimportant" tournaments that confuse the public's understanding and exhaust the players.
But for Yevgeny Kafelnikov, this view misses the mark. On X, the former world number 1 fired back: "You mean there are too many exhibition tournaments with a lot of money, which negatively impacts the calendar, Tim?"
To recall, in his remarks on Sky Sports, Tim Henman was advocating for a more readable calendar: too many scattered tournaments, necessary weeks without tennis, and even the idea of reducing the Masters 1000 to 8-9 days.
But for the former Russian champion, the ATP is not the problem. It's the private exhibitions, often very lucrative, that are multiplying outside the official framework and adding invisible pressure on the stars.
An observation that, for Kafelnikov, is enough to explain the saturation denounced by the players.
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