Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer: Is Blue Clay a Bad Move for Tennis?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: April 28, 2012

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Two weeks from now, the best players in the tennis world—including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer—will be heading to the higher altitudes of Madrid, Spain to contest the fourth Masters 1000 event of the year.

This tournament will be like no other they've competed on when it comes to the clay.

Tennis fans the world over have come to associate clay-court tennis with orange-colored courts and orange-stained socks.

Not any more. The organizers in Madrid have chosen to play this year's tournament on blue clay.

The surface will apparently be no different from any of the clay courts we are accustomed to. The balls will not react any differently on this court than it would on others. In fact, the only thing changing is the color.

So why am I talking about it? Is it a problem? Well, the answer to these questions depends on your point of view.

From the tournament organizers' point of view, including this color change in the business model makes a lot of sense.

For one, the sponsors are appeased because the courts are the same color as their logo. For another, the long-term viability of the tournament is also secured. In the shaky economy of today, sponsors are getting harder to find. Tennis as a sport outside the Grand Slams will continue to thrive.

However, from the players' point of view, this departure from the traditional orange is seen as a bad move for the sport, at least in some quarters.

Others worry about the precedent that such a move will inevitably set.

Tennis has thus far managed to stay somewhat independent of big business in that it has been able to achieve commercial success while sticking with traditions.

The worry here is that a day will come when sponsors—who do not truly have the best for tennis at heart—take power away from the players. That they will control and adulterate tennis a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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