The sport of professional tennis has come to a crossroads and the decisions of the powers that be, those who govern the international tours, will determine whether the game avoids a steady decline over the next decade. The sport faces a host of dilemmas that will require strong leadership in order to avert disaster.
Outright Markets
As things stand, the main problem that faces the sport is the uncertainty with regards to the game’s best players being allowed to compete at Grand Slams. You only need to look at the latest tennis betting online odds to better understand this ongoing predicament. Indeed, Novak Djokovic is the favorite to win both the US Open in 2022 at odds of +125 and the Australian Open in 2023 at a price of +138.
The most recent tennis betting tips are unequivocal in their estimation that the Serb is the man to beat during both Grand Slams. However, the reality is that Djokovic won’t be at either tournament having not met the entry requirements of both countries.
Danger: On The Cards
Essentially, this is likely to subdue interest in the sport if the game’s best players aren’t allowed to compete in the biggest tournaments. It’s not just Djokovic who is currently facing an unknown future but also Daniil Medvedev who is currently the world’s number one in the men’s game. Medvedev, of course, wasn’t allowed to compete at Wimbledon 2022, which opened the door for Djokovic to win his fourth straight title at SW19.
😘🏆2️⃣1️⃣🙏🏼 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Zo8PAScQzJ
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) July 10, 2022
Had the 2021 US Open champion been allowed to play in London, then he certainly would have been the man to rival the Serb but, once again, sports fans were denied the chance to see the game’s best go head to head owing to external factors that have very little to do with the sport of tennis as a whole.
The long and short of it is that you can’t grow any sport without the help of the main protagonists who get people off their seats. It is these players who raise the needle and put the sport into a global spotlight. It goes without saying but right now, tennis is in the global spotlight for reasons that won’t endear the sport to fans.
As for how tennis gets itself out of this predicament, there are no straightforward answers but it will require continued dialogue between players and organizers.
Pinpoint accuracy 🎯@DaniilMedwed | @CincyTennis | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/8AxzJwkqDq
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 18, 2022
With that said, it should be stressed that these current hurdles with regards to having the cream of the crop compete at the year’s four Grand Slam are certainly able to be overcome. Time, however, is not a luxury that the sport has with Djokovic, in particular, currently losing some of the most productive years of his career to the various rules in place.
Ideally, there will be solutions in place by the turn of the year which will ensure that an all-star cast arrives in Australia for the season’s first Grand Slam. Should this happen then the future will remain bright for tennis but any heel-dragging will hamper the sport’s efforts to capture a wider audience.
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