Let’s call time on slow play

ONE of the biggest problems in tennis is time-wasting. According to the rules, players are allowed to take 25 seconds in between points, but the umpires just don’t enforce it. It is time for Wimbledon to act and bring in a shot clock on to the court.

It is the No1 thing people who I speak to talk about. They say: ‘Oh my God, how many times are these guys going to bounce the ball?’

Rafael Nadal almost never gets penalised, but he frequently takes over 30 seconds. He’s not the only one, but he’s highprofile and we see him a lot. It’s ridiculous and the spectators hate it.

With a shot clock, if Rafa or anybody else argues, the umpire just says: ‘You can’t argue with a machine.’

At the moment, umpires are intimidated by the big guys. The shot clock is coming in at the US Open this year and I guarantee it is going to be a success.

The only people who are ever going to complain

about it are the players, but that shouldn’t be the bottom line. It is whether the spectators and the television people love it — because they pay the bills. There is huge competition now in entertainment and in tennis we have to do whatever it takes to keep our sport as relevant as it is. And slow play, there is no question about it, spectators hate it and it has got to be changed.

Another area where we can speed things up is the warm-up. It has been reduced to five minutes but I would make it three minutes, maximum.

These days players have stretching and exercise equipment in the locker room — we’d be playing cards and go straight out and play, none of this five minutes nonsense. We just got on with it.

Another way in which I think we can improve the show is to shorten it! I think best of five sets is too long now.

If matches were best of three at Wimbledon and the other Grand Slams, the top players would know they have to come out of the starting blocks quickly in every match, which would be more exciting for spectators.

I don’t think tennis should necessarily be about a marathon.