Murray on the duration of the Masters 1000: "There were high-quality matches every day"

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The debate is on the table, gaining momentum compared to past seasons. The start of the clay court tour with Monte Carlo, a one-week tournament, concluded that there is no need for a longer tournament to enjoy great tennis on the courts. Some circuit figures like Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and many others have already expressed support for one-week Masters 1000 events.

Present at the Mutua Madrid Open 2025 as Novak Djokovic's coach, it is now Andy Murray who is firm in the debate, offering a simple solution for players facing this situation. The former world number one shares his perspective on these tournaments and the current wear and tear on the circuit in pursuit of greater economic benefit for the events.

About the Masters 1000 and the schedule

"I think, due to the longer duration of the competitions, it's harder to achieve what happened with the Big 4. Sometimes, before, if you played in Rome and Madrid and were seeded, you had a bye in those tournaments, so you could play your first match on Wednesday, arriving in Madrid on Saturday, knowing you'd have four days of training and in 16 days, you would've finished two events, but now there's none of that. So, it has changed, I think, in that sense, and I believe the other way was much better," confirmed Andy Murray in an interview with Tennis Majors.

"The one-week tournaments were really good. There were high-quality matches every day, you knew exactly who was going to play and when, and yes, it was demanding and tough, but... Some rules also changed. For instance, Alcaraz won on Sunday in Monte Carlo, and before you could play your first match of the following week on Wednesday, but now it's on Tuesday, so in that situation, you rest less. So, I preferred how it was before because it probably allowed you to play more matches in a condensed period, yet then you had more time to rest and recover, whereas now the rest and recovery happen at the tournaments."

Issues with rest and recovery

"It's not the normal rest either physically or mentally; it's not the same because you arrive at the courts, train, and are surrounded by many people. I know it's nice to be here playing, but it's a stressful environment when there are many people and cameras watching your training instead of having a quiet environment where you can work on things and train in peace. It's a bit different."

The solution for players: skipping tournaments

"I never made decisions based on the bonus pool, but rather if I would get points and if it affected my ranking. This could've been something I'd have considered, but then, as I got older and when I reflect on it, and also as I've said to some coaches working with younger players: You don't have to play those tournaments. Everyone says the calendar is very long, and it is. It's definitely a long season. And now, with the two-week events, it's quite demanding," said Murray.

"You always have the choice not to play. Yes, you might get zero points, lose some positions in the ranking, or not be part of a bonus pool, but that's a decision. You either say 'I don't want to play' or 'I choose to play because it's better for me financially.' Players have the option not to play if they don't want to. Nothing really bad happens. It's not like you get suspended or can't play in future tournaments. It's just zero points in your ranking. It's not a big deal."

"It's the least creative way to make them earn more money"

"Players often complain and say: 'Oh, the season is very long, so when I play in Canada and Cincinnati, I'm tired when I get to the US Open.' Well then, if you believe that not playing Cincinnati and Canada would be an advantage, choose one of the tournaments you don't want to play and then arrive at the US Open with an edge over the other players. If that's really what you think is better... nowadays, all tournaments are adding days, and it's like the least creative way to make them earn more money, I don't know, truthfully... But also, if it weren't making them money, I think they'd find a different way...".

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Murray, sobre la duración de los Masters 1000: "Había partidos de gran calidad todos los días"