Tim Henman enjoyed an admirable playing career where he was ever-present at the apex of the sport.
However, his influence on tennis has arguably only grown since his retirement, seamlessly moving into punditry and swiftly becoming one of the leading voices.
Present across various broadcasters, his opinion is highly sought-after, particularly on other British talents.
In fact, Henman recently discussed whether he thought Emma Raducanu could ever win another Grand Slam title, whilst speaking to The Guardian.
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Interestingly, in that same article, he has also called for tennis to make a radical change.
If enacted, he truly believes that it would have a hugely beneficial impact not just for the fans, but the players as well.
Tim Henman wants a huge change to the tennis schedule
Asked about the schedule and the two-week Masters 1000 events which have started to become more and more prevalent, Henman was staunch in his position on this topic.
He argued: “The schedule needs looking at because less is more and I would definitely streamline it.
“The Masters 1000 events should be eight or nine days, and then you need some periods where there is no tennis at the very highest level. It’s good for the players and fans and builds expectation for the next event.
“I’m not a fan of the 12-day Masters 1000 events. Physically and psychologically that is tiring and, if anything, we should be trying to shorten the season.”
Andy Murray has also outlined his disagreement with two-week Masters 1000 events as well. It is far from a popular initiative from within the locker room.
What other top players have opposed the two-week Masters 1000 events?
As well as Murray, many of the world’s top current players have actually emerged to oppose the two-week Masters 1000 events, of which there are many now.
Carlos Alcaraz was one vocal critic, stating earlier this year: “I’ll always be a defender of one-week tournaments. If they all were like that, we’d have a week off after Madrid and another after Rome. They’re better for the show; we saw it in Monte Carlo”
Alexander Zverev is completely against two-week Masters 1000 tournaments, and is arguably the most passionate voice on the topic.
Novak Djokovic, however, is the name that carries the most weight, having argued: “I don’t enjoy the two-week Masters events anymore. It’s just way too long for me.
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“I’d like to play more of the other tournaments, but I just, we have currently, unofficially, 12 Grand Slams a year, when you think about it.”
The WTA Tour have been just as vocal as well, with Coco Gauff even stating: “I don’t really like playing two-week tournaments back-to-back.”
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