Novak Djokovic, master of the dissertation, expands on an issue that is beginning to take shape, concerned as tennis is because the great golden era has already closed – the Nadal and Federer, the Williams and Sharapova – and we always have to think about a future, which, as times go, means today. Actually, already. “We have a history and tradition that we are proud of and that makes our sport different from others, but, at the same time, I think we have been a little behind the others regarding changes and adapting to the pace of evolution of society; “We all know that the new generation does not have a great attention span and that they want movement all the time,” explains the one from Belgrade, who in turn talks about the cheerleaders Americans and that, why not, tennis could import some nuances from the spectacle of the Super Bowl or the NBA.
Nole has been stirring the hornet’s nest in that sense for some time, trying to ensure that his sport does not lose pace or vigor from now on; He, an executive with a racket, is aware that today’s youth and new audiences demand something different, whatever it is: vertigo, flashes, impacts; agile consumption and to be able to be immediate. The Serbian, however, does not lose sight of the conservatism or the fidelity of tennis to its origins and its own bases, to the basics of a discipline historically characterized by statism and in which each touch-up has required years and more years. The one from Belgrade thinks, but it is no longer just about the longer or shorter duration of the matches, the eternal debate of three or five sets, that too, but about entertainment in the strictest sense of the word.
Lights, cameras, microphones, projectors, music, the virtual world. The issue goes far beyond the application of more or less technology, or the presence or absence of line judges, or the speed of the courts. “I think we should try to connect more with younger people and attract them,” insists the 24-time major champion, while the organization of the Australian Open—the major more avant-garde, without a doubt— these days already offers animated, real-time broadcasts of the matches through its YouTube channel, in the purest style of video games. The leaders of this sport try to energize their product, but without losing its essence; difficult balance, but plans are taking shape in thinking minds. There is the laboratory of the Next Gen Finals, a testing ground applied to the master tournament of promises, or exhibitions such as the Six King Slam that Riyadh hosted in October.
There, among neon lights, holograms and optical illusions, Rafael Nadal paraded, who in his farewell video mentioned an essential concept that explains everything: “Industry.” It was not the first time that he, a prolific investor, had done so. Sport and business. Everything is little for production and obtaining maximum performance. Aim? Americanize the show. The US Open, where music blares during breaks and people eat nachos, drink beer and wander around the stands during the action, perhaps hinted the way. “When there is a downtime, male and female dancers come in, so you can relax your nerves and think about something else…”, slips Djokovic, 37 years old; “I feel like it would bring more fun and entertaining elements to tennis, which we know has been quite traditional and, perhaps, conservative in some things.”
Ages, ‘pickleball’, Netflix…
One of those most proactive in pursuing innovation has been Patrick Mouratoglou, once Serena Williams’ coach. The Frenchman designed a format (Ultimate Tennis ShowdownUTS) that proposes greater interaction with the fan, among other things; something like “like an episode of Netflix,” in the words of the Frenchman, who at the same time points to references such as the UFC—mixed martial arts—as one of the role models to capture the attention of young people, because, he says, “ “It cannot be that those who follow tennis have an average age of 60 years.” His claim is joined by those of other professionals such as Nick Kyrgios or Borna Gojo, who consider that today’s tennis is excessively “boring.” Toni Nadal himself wrote in this newspaper: “The data on the rise of other sports should be reason enough for our leaders to be open to addressing certain changes.”
The Spanish coach alluded to examples such as paddle tennis or pickleball as bait for the new generations, while the footballer Gerard Piqué wanted to revolutionize the Davis Cup upon his arrival on the circuit when he understood, as he conceded to Morning Express, that “the millennials They ask for more emotion.” From there, opinions of greater or lesser weight have emerged that bet on twists of the screw, at the same time that the governing bodies of tennis have been testing novelties in newly created competitions such as the United Cup or the Laver Cup, the latter promoted by the legendary Roger Federer. They have been tested with microphones, team tournaments, cameras on the benches, captains giving orders and various formulas that for now remain just that, mere attempts to check how the followers react and calculate where the audiences would go.
In March, the Netflix platform broadcast live a duel in Las Vegas between Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, in the purest boxing style and with interviews with the two protagonists and other personalities during the breaks, which had greater impact than the vast majority of tournaments. of intermediate profile, and even than other superior ones. And today tests of all kinds continue. The last maneuver is the one applied by the Australian Open with the approach of the coaches to their players, giving them the opportunity to position themselves at court level, closer to the player. “Maybe not everything is ready to be implemented at the highest level, but I think there are certain changes that are worth considering,” insists Djokovic, for whom there should only be one sacred and untouchable place.
“Wimbledon I would leave it as it is, because it is really unique. Everything so white and so elegant, with so much class; strawberries and cream… But all the others, as in the case of the US Open, are about entertainment. So I am willing to do it, perhaps with gradual changes,” concludes the Serbian, while dilemmas float in the air and the different parties wonder which is the most appropriate destination, whether to broadly respect the old patterns or be more disruptive. . Show or tradition? Industry or history? Maybe a balance. Where does tennis want to go?
