WTA organizer Billie Jean King joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on Wednesday in recommending “right now is an ideal opportunity” to consolidate the men’s ATP and ladies’ body into one umbrella association to supervise the two expert tennis visits.
Federer, holder of the men’s record of 20 Grand Slams, was the first to raise the idea on his Twitter channel, setting off an overwhelmingly energetic reaction from King and Nadal.
“Simply pondering … am I the just one reasoning that this is the ideal opportunity for people’s tennis to be joined together and met up as one?” Federer said.
“I am not looking at consolidating rivalry on the court, however combining the 2 administering bodies (ATP and WTA) that manage the people’s proficient visits.”
Pioneer King, who was a piece of setting up the WTA in 1973 and was one of the ‘First 9’ on the visit, said her help for the thought goes back decades.
“I concur, and have been stating so since the mid 1970s. One voice, ladies and men together, has for quite some time been my vision for tennis. The WTA all alone was consistently Plan B. I’m happy we are in the same spot. We should get it going. #OneVoice,” she tweeted.
Nadal, who has 19 Grand Slam titles, bolstered his long-term adversary’s suggestion.
“Hello @rogerfederer as you most likely are aware per our conversations I totally concur that it is incredible to escape this world emergency with the association of people’s tennis in one just association,” he said.
Federer and Nadal contended by a merger tennis could rise more grounded from the coronavirus lockdown which has seen the game closed down, with Wimbledon dropped just because since World War II and the French Open pushed back to the finish of September.
“It most likely ought to have happened quite a while prior, yet perhaps now is actually the time. These are intense occasions in each game and we can come out of this with 2 debilitated bodies or 1 more grounded body,” Federer composed.
He said the present framework was “unreasonably confounding for the fans when there are diverse positioning frameworks, various logos, various sites, distinctive competition classifications”.
Afterward, three-time Grand Slam victor Stanislas Wawrinka asserted conversations are in progress in regards to the move with the ATP’s administrator Andrea Gaudenzi.
“It was not only a remark that way, there is more talk behind that. Gaudenzi at the ATP was at that point discussing it,” he said during an Instagram Live with 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert.
Australian star Nick Kyrgios and double cross ladies’ Grand Slam champion Simona Halep likewise said they were behind the thought.