Well-known Serena Williams trainer Patrick Muratoglu told CNBC that tennis cannot be the same after a global response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Muratoglu said the players struggled to maintain motivation because they did not know when they could play official games again.
“This is an extremely difficult period. We know that the face of the Covid-19 tennis publication is likely to no longer be the same. The economic crisis is likely to hit us very hard. The whole business as a whole, but also a business. tennis, “he said.
The main sports governing bodies, the Tennis Professionals Association (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), have suspended their seasons at least until August. A decision is expected from the US Tennis Association. United States About whether to host the US Open United States of America At the end of August.
During a global blocking reaction on Covid-19, Muratoglu created the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), the new tennis league that he hopes will revolutionize the sport and appeal to young fans. Academy founder Muratoglu said he felt tennis was in a “difficult situation” for several years due to the demographics of fans.
“I know this is not like this because we have amazing champions, we have great tournaments, but if you look in more detail, you will understand that the average age of a tennis fan is 61, which is quite old for sports” .
We literally live off fans created in the 1970s and 1980s
An influential coach says that the success of the sport at that time was due to the amount of emotions shared by the players. He said that today’s strict code of conduct means that many players have the same attitude and are difficult to identify on the court.
“The reason people watch sports is to feel something. They want to feel emotions. Therefore, if players don’t give emotions, it’s more difficult to get into it, ”he said.
The new UTS format, which will take place over the weekend, starting June 13, will encourage players to express their emotions through clearer rules of behavior. Matches will be shorter, and the home audience will be able to listen to live chats of coaches and communicate with players in real time.
Muratoglu told CNBC that he had talks with the ATP and WTA about a new league, which said they would be open to further negotiations if that worked. “I’m not trying to be against anyone. I do it for tennis. I think tennis should reinvent itself. I think there is room for two different courses. It exists in many other sports, ”he said.
The trainer and businessman also told CNBC that his tennis player Coco Gauff was “unique,” commenting on his recent reaction to the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death, which was filmed, sparked protests against racism and Black Lives Matter protests in the United States and around the world.
“What has happened recently with these terrible events in the USA. And the fact that at 16 she can go there and give speeches and support the black community that is going through all these difficult times, it just shows that she is something else. ” really, “he said.
Muratoglu, who first teamed up with U.S. tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2012, apologized for not being able to participate in the first UTS due to the short time and initial scale of the event, but said it would happen soon. He said Williams was very supportive of the new league and even gave him some ideas. “He puts pressure on me to bring women on board as soon as possible,” he said.
