“Changes are crucial” – Bublik advocates overhaul as prospect of super league and Saudi involvement loom large
The Kazakh is currently in Oslo for the opening leg of 2024’s UTS tour, where he spoke exclusively to Tennis Majors about how he sees the future of tennis
Alexander Bublik at UTS Oslo, 2024 © UTS
There has been a growing and undeniable sense lately that the tectonic plates underpinning tennis’ world have begun to shift irrevocably.
As the tennis took centre stage at the Australian Open last month, Craig Tiley has revealed that he spent much of the fortnight putting together plans behind closed doors to fend off the ever-growing threat from Saudi Arabia for jurisdiction over the first month of the already too crowded tennis calendar.
One such proposal to achieve this is the much-rumoured formation of a breakaway super league, one that would operate independently of the ATP and WTA tours and include the four Grand Slams and nine Masters 1000 tournaments.
It is likely to be highly lucrative for the world’s leading players, and would essentially mean they could play less while earning more.
Despite the obvious appeal of such an offer, few players have given much away regarding where their loyalties would lie if the rumours of a super league breakaway became a reality.
Which is exactly why when a player of Alexander Bublik‘s calibre and following gives a very definite assertion about where he lends his support, it is worth taking notice.
“I’m done,” were Bublik’s first words on the issue, referring to the current structural state of tennis.
Speaking exclusively to Tennis Majors in Oslo ahead of the first leg of this year’s UTS tour, the Kazakh candidly laid bare his frustrations with tennis in its current form and explained why he feels changes are badly needed.
bublik seeks change to demanding schedule and inadequate pay increases
“I’m for changes, and I want I want the changes to come because we are playing the same tournaments, the same prize money for the past 15 years.
“They are increasing the prize money for two percent and they think we need to get that and be happy. So I think the changes are crucial. We need them, and players need them.”
As well as increased pay, Bublik spoke of the need for significant alterations to the calendar, due to the long and sometimes relentless nature of the tennis season. Any meaningful change to tennis’ schedule would likely require a more fundamental structural shift in order to be achieved.
“Players deserve the changes, and players deserve to be treated well, paid well and play less, and enjoy the atmosphere more because otherwise it’s really demanding to play for 11 months in a row.
“Then at the end of the year, you’ve got one month off and then go on again.
“So I think the players deserve a better life.”
There is no doubt that tennis currently finds itself at a crucial crossroads in its long and varied history.
Down one road lies the prospect of much greater Saudi involvement in the sport, with the possibility of a tenth Masters 1000 tournament competing with the Australian Open in January. Another road leads to a breakaway super league and the essential redundancy of the ATP and WTA tours, both of which currently provide the underlying scaffolding for the structure of the entire season.
As competing parties with substantial financial power vie for greater control of the sport, the will of the players becomes crucial in tennis’ next move.
It is becoming increasingly evident, however, that whichever path the tennis world next traverses, it will most likely look radically different to the one we have all become accustomed to.
