Date Change Confirmed: Starting In 2015 There Will Be Three Weeks Between The French Open And Wimbledon

by Staff | July 19th, 2012, 10:47 am
  • 12 Comments

In a major tennis calendar move, Wimbledon announced today new dates for 2015 and beyond creating a much-needed three week gap between the French Open and the Championships. The 2015 Wimbledon edition will begin on Monday, June 29 and conclude on Sunday, July 12.

The decision allows more time for players to recover from the clay season and prepare for the grass, which has traditionally started with important grass events like Queen’s and Halle immediately following the French Open. Player fatigue and injury often led to withdrawals and sub-standard play from the top stars, or just absence.

Philip Brook, Chairman of the All England Club, said, “The best interests of tennis will be served by allowing the players more time to recuperate and to adjust from the clay of Roland Garros to the grass at Wimbledon. All our research indicates that there is widespread support within the game for extending the gap between the French Open and Wimbledon and, importantly, we think most players will welcome the prospect of a longer grass court season and spending more time on the softer surface of grass.


“In making this change from 2015 we recognise that there will be some important consequences for the overall tennis calendar and enough time needs to be given to allow us all to plan accordingly.”

The extra week should increase the number of tour grass events, all likely in England, and further warrant a Masters/Premier level grass tournament.

It should also be a boon to grass players who excel on the surface.

However, with the grass season adding a week, the summer season will lose a week unless the US Open also pushes back in the calendar, a change that just won’t happen. Therefore, early summer events like Newport, Atlanta, Bastad, Gstaad, Stanford, Carlsbad and other circuits like World Team Tennis might be scrambling to find a new home on the ever-tightening tennis calendar.


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12 Comments for Date Change Confirmed: Starting In 2015 There Will Be Three Weeks Between The French Open And Wimbledon

scineram Says:

Man, the crazy news just keep coming.

NADAL OUT!!!!!!!!!
http://tracking.si.com/2012/07/19/rafael-nadal-out-olympics/


green900 Says:

are you sure? cannot find this confirmed anywhere else


jane Says:

If this is true, it’s great news. It will give the players a little more time to prep on grass.


RZ Says:

Excellent that there’s one more week between the 2 slams. Now if they could just move the French Open up by a week so that there’s a 4 week gap…


Colin Says:

This is fine up to a point, but if our summers continue in their present mode, the later date will make rain problems more likely. Don’t forget, they can’t play all that many rounds with only one roofed court.


Mark Says:

Why do they have to wait till 2015 to effect this change? Why not sooner? That is 3 years away!


andrea Says:

pretty significant to have wimbledon agree to move.


dari Says:

My first thought was to add a grass masters, but does that kind of defeat the point?
Ok no more Paris indoors, make a grass masters


skeezer Says:

@dari

I was thinking the same thing. Why not thrown in a Masters? (probably still not enough time). Wish the goal was to create more of a Grass Season then just giving the players more time between RG and Wimby. They have no problem with a nice Clay and HC season!!


Michael Says:

All the top players now would have aged by then. Nadal would be 30, Novak and Murray 29 and Roger would be 35. This decision should be an advantage for the new generation. But why can’t they give effect to this decision next year itself ??


Maso Says:

Adding a Masters, after adding a week between RG and Wimbly for the ourpose of getting more rest for the players, seems like a counterproductive idea. I’d love to see a masters played on grass, but it just doesn’t seem realistic, timing wise. They should definitely bump Halle and Queen to 500 status, though.


Skorocel Says:

Does that mean there’ll be one week of rest after the FO, then the Queens & Halle combo, and then another week of rest (and maybe preparation) for the top players? I.e. REST + QUEENS & HALLE + REST & PREPARATION. If that’s the case, then it looks like a fairly reasonable idea, which should benefit mainly the Queens & Halle tourneys…

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