'It's just a joke': Ailing Tommo slams tennis schedule
Injury-plagued Jordan Thompson has unleashed a diatribe at the organisers of men's tennis, slamming the brutal, non-stop ATP schedule.
The 31-year-old 'Tommo', one of the tour's great warriors who battled to his first singles title last year, said the current calendar was "shit" and "just a joke" as he fights to hold his season together.
The Sydneysider vented his irritation and frustration after being knocked out of the tournament by Jiri Lehecka in the French Open after a season in which he's already been laid low with three injury setbacks.
He feels the constant tour grind is detrimental to players' health and believes Australians are particularly at risk over a "ridiculous" short off-season before a tournament-packed home summer.
"It's been brutal. I've only played six or seven tournaments this year, started off rupturing a plantar fascia, and then tore an oblique, a groin strain, so just haven't been able to be continually on the court, which is really frustrating to play stop-start tennis and we're not even halfway through the season."
Asked if he could afford to take a couple of weeks break to recuperate, Thompson said: "Unfortunately, with the ATP schedule and how shit 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. I can't stand the current schedule. I hate the two-week (Masters 1000) events, and it's even tougher for Aussies.
"Because after every Aussie Open, except this year's, I've left at the end of January, start of February, and I've come back home probably the start of December, because I've got to wait until Davis Cup.
"I know there are opportunities to go home throughout the year, but it is so far to get back to Australia, I don't see the benefit of going there for less than 10 days, because by the time you acclimatise there - an island in the middle of nowhere in a completely different time zone - you've just got to come back and compete again.
"I just don't see how that's beneficial for any tennis player. I just want to stay healthy. You have off-weeks here and there, and they are really key for an Aussie."
Asked if an answer might be to employ other sports' mid-season breaks, he added: "Soccer's got the benefit of an off-season. Our off-season is a pitiful three weeks. That's rubbish.
"I've got some worse words for our off-season. I mean, it's just a joke. For any Australian, it's great that we play in Australia, but if you play Davis Cup (in November), 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.
"Like our 2025 season started in 2024. I mean, it's just ridiculous. Where's the tennis players' break? I just feel like there is no time to rest or have a holiday."
The ATP have begun to stretch the big Masters events over two weeks at the same venue, as opposed to one week in the past.
"I haven't spoken to a player that likes the two-week events. You are there in one place for an eternity, it feels like," said Thompson.
"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. Like, why is one tournament taking that long to finish?
"I mean, it's just a waste of time in my opinion."
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