With the victory of Argentine Sebastián Báez in the Open Rio final on Sunday (23), Argentina tied with Spain as the two countries with the most titles in the clay of the Jockey Club, with three each.
The dominance of the two tennis schools in which clay is traditionally the favorite floor of its tennis players, however, being told in Rio de Janeiro.
The event organizers do not rule out the exchange of the dirt surface, adopting the quick court model in the next editions.
Increasing the appeal and attracting more elite tennis players is the main reason behind the exchange considered, but a possible change in the event venue is seen with caveats by the players.
In this year’s decision, the Báez champion held the 31st post in the world, while Alexandre Müller was 58th.
The Open River is the only one in South America ATP 500, while other tournaments in the same category are played on a hard court in February. This is the case of ATP 500 of Doha (Qatar), Dallas (United States), Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Acapulco (Mexico).
ATP Level Tournaments are divided into three main categories —250, 500 and Masters 1000 – and are under the level of importance only of the four Grand Slam —Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open.
The Grand Slam in Australia and the United States are also played on a quick block, and Wimbledon in the grass, while Roland Garros is thrown on clay, floor that provides a slower game rhythm.
Elite players tend to privilege the hard court earlier this year by the Australian Open dispute in January and the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000 in March.
The Qatar tournament, for example, was champion Russian Andrey Rublev, number 9 of the world – lined by João Fonseca in Australian Open -, and featured the appearances of Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (3rd) and Serbio Novak Djokovic (7th) .
In this year’s edition of Rio Open, the main name was the German Alexander Zverev, runner-up of the ranking, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Dane Holger Rune (13th) and Italian Lorenzo Musetti (17th) ended up giving up on lesions.
“Quadra Dura would offer a larger player option cartel to bring. Not that we would become a key like Doha, but I think they would have more interesting options,” said Lui Carvalho, director of Rio Open, in an interview with journalists.
“It’s a decision that involves several factors, but we are all the time under discussion so that it can make it happen,” added the executive.
The change of floor divides opinions in the middle. Champion in the doubles tournament in this year’s edition alongside Rafael Matos, Marcelo Melo says that the surface change would contribute to a renewal in the athletes.
“I believe that a possible change of floor would bring different players. I think it is not because Brazil is far that the player would no longer come. When we chose the tournament, there is a planning thinking about sequence. “, told Melo to Sheet.
He also said that he even prefers to play hard than in clay, where he won most of the 39 career titles.
“I don’t know how it would be possible to have only Rio de Janeiro in South America on the hard court, but the chance to attract high level players is much higher. Acapulo, Indian Wells, Miami, and the tournament court is starting. Important to define the coming of different players, “added Melo.
Former Number 1 of Brazil in Simples, Thomaz Bellucci also supports the change to the fast court. But it understands that it is necessary that other neighboring tournaments, such as Buenos Aires and Santiago, also adopt the model. Thus, tennis players would gain an additional incentive to travel to the region, and could compete for two or three tournaments on the same floor.
“The Open River has a good structure, everyone they frequent like. But really, if they want to move forward, they need big names. This year they had difficulty bringing outside names,” said Bellucci.
Having reached the 21st of the world in simple, Bellucci adds that, depending on the evolution of João Fonseca in the circuit, his own presence at the event can become a doubt in the future.
“If he becomes top 20 or top 10, will he want to play on the clay coming back from Australia, going to Indian Wells and Miami? This leads to the way the way is an inevitable change of floor. And with John, the decision to play or not, it can weigh on that. “
Former Duplist Bruno Soares, he sees the exchange less enthusiasm. “They say the maneuver would imply bring more players, and I have doubts would be influenced. I think it won’t impact so much. The biggest challenge of Rio Open is logistical. Why will Europeans come to Rio if they can play close? “Said Soares.
He added that in the past, with the high amount and quality of South American tennis players, such as Gustavo Kuerten, David Nalbandian, Fernando González and Gaudio Gadio, the demand for outside names was smaller.
“No one was careful for Europeans. Now it’s not like that, so it is discussed. But if John [Fonseca] And the Argentines go up on the ranking, maybe that too, “said Soares.
In any case, given the possibility of changing the floor, the organizers also do not rule out the exchange of the event’s own headquarters, which has been going on since the first edition of Jockey Club, whose contract runs until 2027. An alternative in the radar would be the structure of the park Olympic, in the West Zone, which received the tennis games in Rio-2016.
Soares points out that the change of thirst, instead of helping, can disrupt the public involvement with the tournament.
“I think the tournament would lose a lot. The carioca audience, which is much of him in the South Zone, finishes working and in 10, 15 minutes moves. Da Barra, the crowd will take an hour and a half to the Olympic Park. I see traction in it, “said the former tennis player.
“Jockey has a key charm in the tournament, it’s a spectacular place,” said Melo. “It really is a pleasure for us players to be there close to Christ.”
Current number 95 in the world in pairs, Marcelo Demoliner does not welcome the move of the Open River headquarters to the Olympic Park. “There has been abandoned for several years, needs restructuring both to behave people and the players. There is nothing, the bathrooms were bad. At the Olympics, that was a chaos for the players. It’s a very sensitive point,” he said.
Demoliner acknowledges, however, that in the face of the growth of the event and the appeal brought by the sensation João Fonseca, new alternatives are necessary. “As a player it is very cool to be there [no Jockey]. But for the tournament could have much more growth on a hard court bringing more players, leaving the comfort zone, “said the tennis player.
