‘It's a joke': Aussie Jordan Thompson launches into furious rant over ‘s**t' tennis reality players ‘can't stand' at French Open
The Australian, whose Roland Garros ended on Tuesday when he and Jason Kubler were defeated in the men's doubles, has struggled with a range of injuries this year after squeezing only seven days off to recuperate after enjoying a career-best season in 2024.
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He said the challenges of staying inside the top 100, which is considered the range in ranking where players make a decent living, meant professionals were placing extra stress on their bodies in order to retain their place on the premier tour.
By extending tournaments including the Madrid Masters and Italian Open to a fortnight, players are forced to wait at tournaments for longer and this has eaten into the time Aussies have to sneak home for a brief break to see family and friends.
'Unfortunately with the ATP schedule and how sh*t it is, we can't afford to take breaks because you let other people just have an opportunity to pass you on the rankings and get more prize money and you just feel like you're missing out on an opportunity,' he said.
'I can't stand the schedule. I hate the two week (Masters) events and I think it's even tougher for Aussies. The last few years I've been away … after every Aussie Open (and) I've come back at probably the start of December because I've got to wait until Davis Cup (is over).
'I know there are opportunities to go home throughout the year, but it is so far to get back to Australia and I don't see the benefit of going there for less than 10 days, because by the time you acclimatise there, on an island in the middle of nowhere that is a completely different time zone, you've just got to come back and compete again. So I just don't see how that's beneficial for any tennis player.'
The Australian's critique comes at a time where the relationship between the tours and the playing group is fraught.
The Novak Djokovic-founded PTPA recently issued a law suit against the tours, among other affiliated parties, on several bases.
Top 10-ranked players also met with representatives of all grand slam bodies including Tennis Australia in Paris last week to discuss issues including prize money percentages per event revenue.
And there is frustration among the playing group that the Masters events have been extended, squeezing out smaller tournaments, to allow organisers to further their commercial interests.
Thompson, who claimed a maiden ATP Tour singles title last year and partnered the now-suspended Max Purcell to a US Open doubles title and a spot in the elite ATP Tour Finals, said he did not know a player who enjoyed the extended time frame at select Masters events.
'I haven't spoken to a player who likes the two week events. I mean, you are there for an eternity,' he said.
'It feels like a couple of times I've made the doubles final and I've been in the same city for over 17 days, and we're at one tournament. Why is one tournament taking that long to finish? I mean, why do we need a day off for playing? They are three set matches.
'It should just be like the Paris Masters (which is a) one week event. Why do we need to turn that into a two week event? It's just a waste of time in my opinion and I know a lot of other players feel the same.'
By virtue of his national duties, with Australia pressing deep into the Davis Cup finals in recent years, Thompson said the off-season had become almost non-existent in the sport.
'Our off-season is a pitiful three weeks. That's rubbish. I've got some worse words for our off-season. It's just a joke,' he said.
'For an Australian, it's great that we play in Australia, but if you play Davis Cup, you literally can take maybe seven days off and that's your off season, because then you're back into training and you're leaving before Christmas.
'Our 2025 season started in 2024. I mean, that's just ridiculous. I mean, where's the tennis players break? I just feel like there is no time to rest or have a holiday.'
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