Tennis star suggests big changes to the Grand Slam after many players pull out of Wimbledon
Former British number one John Lloyd has noticed a worrying trend as many players are pulling out of Wimbledon due to injuries. With the tournament starting on June 29 in southwest London, 13 players, including Carlos Alcaraz, have already withdrawn.
Alcaraz, the world number two and two-time Wimbledon winner, won’t be playing because of a wrist injury. This opens the door for Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, to take the title. Other players like Denmark’s Holger Rune and the US’s Reilly Opelka have also stepped back because of injuries.
Lloyd, who once reached number 23 in the world and made the Australian Open final in 1977, believes the problem will only get worse. In a chat with Tennis365, he explained: “Tennis is one of the toughest sports out there. You get about six weeks off at the end of the year, but that’s not a lot. Even with two weeks to rest, players are often exhausted before they begin getting ready for tournaments.”
He also mentioned that match length affects players’ health. While it might seem that today’s athletes can handle long five-set matches better, Lloyd says their intense physical style actually makes it harder on their bodies. “They’re amazing athletes, but they will break down more and more,” he said. “Five-set matches now are as tough as three-set matches were in my day.”
But Lloyd doesn’t just point out problems—he suggests some solutions to help players stay healthy. Ideally, he says, the Australian Open could be moved to March, though that’s unlikely to happen. More realistically, he thinks Grand Slam matches could be shortened to best-of-three sets. “It’s not just the matches themselves; it’s the tough preparation that really wears players down,” Lloyd added.