How Much Time is Too Much?
On the pro tennis tours, the amount of time between points, i.e. usually 25 seconds, and the amount of time allowed during the game changeover, i.e. usually 90 seconds, is specified in the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rulebooks. The lengthy rituals of many players including top players such as Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchova, have been scrutinized a lot recently. Nadal, who did seem to spend less time between points during the Pacific Life and Sony
Ericsson Opens, towels off, adjusts his clothes, etc., between practically every point regardless of the temperature and court surface. It’s clear that Rafa is not intentionally taking a long time or trying to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm, but sometimes, especially as the match becomes tighter, his routine seems to take even longer. Traditionally, tennis players are supposed to play to the pace of the server meaning that the receiver should be ready to play when the server steps up to serve. Sharapova and Hantuchova have clearly developed patterns between points such as turning their backs to their opponents prior to receiving serve which help them focus, relax, etc. However, these actions sometimes control the pace of the match in addition to exceeding the time limits between points. Although many fans and players may complain about the players, it’s really the umpires who need to enforce the rules. Umpires should inform a player early in a match that he/she is taking too long on a regular basis rather than waiting until 6-5 in the fifth set to issue a warning.
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