Rafael Nadal is untouchable on clay but put him inside the O2 on a hard court and suddenly the world No1 is vulnerable, which explains why he wants a new venue for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
Nadal (above) faces David Ferrer today while Novak Djokovic, who also wants the tournament to move, takes on Roger Federer tonight — a line-up that would attract a big crowd anywhere in the world. However, until 2015 tennis fans must come to Greenwich to witness the top eight singles and doubles men’s players in the season’s finale.
The tournament is the only major title to have eluded Nadal and you get the distinct impression the Spaniard is convinced this will continue to be the case until the ATP agree with his argument that if the four Grand Slams and a large chunk of the Tour are on clay then the Finals can be too.
There are two very good reasons the Finals are here in London; the winter weather and the short distance from Paris, where the players were last week. Patently, playing outdoors in the Northern Hemisphere is not feasible at this time of the year and that is why it has to be indoors. Clay could be used but at the end of a long season do the players really want to toil away for hours on the red stuff?
With the final Masters tournament in Paris, the short trip to London is a real plus for the players. No time zones to deal with or long-haul flight.Before London took over four years ago, the Finals were in Shanghai with travelling to China a real problem for the players.
Djokovic’s argument is one the ATP will seriously consider when it comes to choosing the next host with Rio keen to be involved. The Serb recognises the sport must expand to keep the money rolling in and knows the value of opening new markets by signing a huge sponsorship deal with Japanese company UNIQLO.
Britain’s Andy Murray is also targeting the Asia market and money will decide where the Finals are next staged.
And that is why they are here in London where tournament organiser Chris Kermode has provided the players with every possible luxury, turned the O2 into a wonderful tennis venue and more than a million fans have paid good money for tickets since it arrived in 2009.
