ATP Tennis/Non-India Davis Cup

[Rajiv]

End of an Era !!!

2024 will mark as the last year for the New Port Grass Court that will take place
Come 2025 this iconic tournament which was the even the site for US Open for many a years will be scratched from the tournament schedule.
This Grass Court tournament has so great memories from a Indian point of view and were like Indian Grass Nationals , so much so that it even had a Indian sponsor (Infosys) the first ever Indian company to sponsor any Tennis tournament outside India.

It’s really sad the ATP is making sure Grass court Tennis dies a slow death and fearful of the day when SW19 might have a transformation like Flushing Meadows & Kooyong.

[Omkara]

Newport never attracted the best of players. Post Wimbledon there is no need to play here. Only specialists who are looking at cheap points and an easy route to an ATP title came here. When Vijay won it, it was still an icon. Today it's lost relevance. Nothing to do with ATP

[jayakris]

Sad, sad, sad, sad, SAD...

[prasen9]

Newport never attracted the best of players. Post Wimbledon there is no need to play here. Only specialists who are looking at cheap points and an easy route to an ATP title came here. When Vijay won it, it was still an icon. Today it's lost relevance. Nothing to do with ATP

The problem is not very many players have grass as their best surface. Grass also heightens the advantage of a big serve. If you have a huge serve, it is hard to compete. The surface is flawed in tht way. When there is not many players who want to play that surface, it withers.

[Omkara]

Newport never attracted the best of players. Post Wimbledon there is no need to play here. Only specialists who are looking at cheap points and an easy route to an ATP title came here. When Vijay won it, it was still an icon. Today it's lost relevance. Nothing to do with ATP

The problem is not very many players have grass as their best surface. Grass also heightens the advantage of a big serve. If you have a huge serve, it is hard to compete. The surface is flawed in tht way. When there is not many players who want to play that surface, it withers.

Yes. Surprisingly clay, which is at the other end of the spectrum slowing everything down, has done well.

[prasen9]

Yes. Surprisingly clay, which is at the other end of the spectrum slowing everything down, has done well.

To me, this is not a surprise. However much I love to watch volleys, volleys do not win games that much. It was the serve that dominated in the grass court game. That is, players who were naturally strong and hit the weight room were extremely difficult to defeat. If you don't have a great serve, you have no chance on a grass court. On the other hand, on clay, it gives the slightly weaker player a chance if they can return the ball well. Players thought of that as more of a skill that could be developed than a great serve. Wrt a serve, there is skill too but strength matters a lot. And, it is harder to develop. The counter-example, of course, is that Nadal was near undefeatable on clay whereas many people won Wimbledon. But, I am talking of perception.

From a spectators point of view, they love watching more rallies than aces that finish fast.

Also, I think grass courts take a lot more to maintain. At least, it needs watering, etc. Clay courts do not need that much water. That means it can be built anywhere and needs lower maintenance. So, a bit of practicality wrt costs, etc.

This is what I think is why clay became more popular. But, I have not researched it well enough. From anecdotes and talking to some tennis people ...

[PKBasu]

End of an Era !!!

2024 will mark as the last year for the New Port Grass Court that will take place
Come 2025 this iconic tournament which was the even the site for US Open for many a years will be scratched from the tournament schedule.
This Grass Court tournament has so great memories from a Indian point of view and were like Indian Grass Nationals , so much so that it even had a Indian sponsor (Infosys) the first ever Indian company to sponsor any Tennis tournament outside India.

It’s really sad the ATP is making sure Grass court Tennis dies a slow death and fearful of the day when SW19 might have a transformation like Flushing Meadows & Kooyong.

Absolutely tragic news! Grass court tennis is about to die. Someone should suggest playing Newport earlier, perhaps the week after the French Open, or perhaps even the second week of the French Open -- for players who hate the clay to have an opportunity to enjoy themselves on grass.

[prasen9]

Absolutely, agree with PKB. It would have value as a practice tournament to the runup to Wimbledon perhaps. The fact that it is in the U.S. and not Europe is a deterrent though wrt it being a tuneup tournament to Wimbledon. Grass court tennis is going to wither out it seems.

[punarayan]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... llyjenkins

A perspective on the benefits of growing up on clay. I always read this writer.

[prashanthm]

I agree with Prasen's comments on maintenance....

It is a sore sight for the spectators, live and on television, to look at the patch version of the SW19 when the Finals are played with big patches near the baseline....
Clay courts on the other hand look and provide the same level of performance as they do on Day 1 of the qualifying week...

[prasen9]

So, has the next generation finally arrived? Alcaraz-Sinner? This is basically the Djokovic decade so far. Federer was done and Nadal was limping. Alcaraz has won a couple. Thiem, who will retire soon and Medvedev is 28. Still can win but he does not seem like overpowering or consistent. Zverev, Rublev have also been inconsistent. Maybe Ruud improves.

What do you think who will be the next greats? Alcaraz is the safest bet imho. Who else? Sinner? Others? Thoughts from those who follow more closely and have actually seen a lot of tennis from this gen? I haven't.

[PKBasu]

Alcaraz and Sinner are well ahead of the rest of the competition. Sasha Zverev (from the slightly older set) alongwith Tsitsipas and Medvedev are highly competitive with those two, and will make a fine quartet of the leading players for the next 4-5 years.

The Alcaraz-Sinner SF was disappointing in parts (particularly the 3rd set, during which both players were wayward and listless -- apparently because both were trying to manage cramps). But the final set was magnificent. Both are really superb players with allround games. I'm not surprised that Alcaraz won. If he can stay fit (which is of course the big IF), he is going to be the leading player of the decade ahead.

[PKBasu]

Sasha Zverev put up a surprisingly good fight in the FO final. I was particularly surprised by the third set. But then, Carlos stamped his class on the final two sets.

[PKBasu]

Sad, sad, sad, sad, SAD...

Can we start a clamour on social media to ensure that the Newport grass tournament doesn't die?

[jayakris]

^^^ I would join, but it may be just you and I, PKB. Nobody seems to care