Long season hurts top guns, says firebrand

NICK Kyrgios says the ATP tennis season is too long and there should be more than three tournaments a year in Australia.

Kyrgios gave a young man’s perspective on the men’s tennis debate about longer-term injuries to many of the top-10 mainstays in the past two years, which led Andy Murray to call for a study into why so many leading older players have succumbed.

The 22-year-old Australian, third seed for the Brisbane International, said he intended to play his schedule in shorter bursts, without the longer series of tournaments that has tended to result in fatigue and outbursts such as at the past two Shanghai Masters events.

“I think the season is too long, yes — I would love to have more time at home, but that’s just my personality,’’ said Kyrgios, who will play his first match of the year against Australian No.2 Matt Ebden at Pat Rafter Arena.

“But for the guys who love to travel around and play every week, then I’m not too sure.

“I don’t know why we don’t have more tournaments in Australia. I think people would be more than willing to come back here throughout the year.

“For us in Australia, I mean, I was on the road for four months last year and that’s pretty tough. Obviously, I want to spend time with my family, but you can’t. You’ve got to stay on the road.’’

Tennis Australia owns two ATP tournaments, in Brisbane and Sydney, and the first grand slam event of the year, but also invests in Challenger and ITF Futures tournaments to give chances for young locals starting out at lower levels of the professional sport.

Private promoters funded as many as two ATP indoor tournaments in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in Octobers in the 1970s and 1980s.

But that month of the annual tennis calendar has for years become the province of Asian tournaments, with the two tours desperate in more recent years to expand to the emerging and lucrative Chinese market.

Asked about his motivation level at the moment, Kyrgios said: “I’m feeling good. Obviously a new year, so not too much [time for things] to go wrong just yet.’’