TENNIS SCORING SYSTEM CHANGES? – Gerrard Pique Proposes a New Scoring Format for Tennis…

RADICAL PROPOSALS FOR TENNIS SCORING SYSTEM PUT FORWARD BY GERARD PIQUE

Gerard Pique, the former Barcelona footballer, has proposed a radical overhaul of the tennis scoring system, suggesting that the traditional format is in need of a significant update.

Pique, who was instrumental in implementing changes to the Davis Cup format in 2018, believes that tennis needs to adapt to the changing viewing habits of modern audiences. “Tennis needs to evolve to adapt to the current speed and attract those young people who are tempted to watch many other things like HBO or Netflix,” he said.

One of the key changes proposed by Pique is the introduction of a single serve, rather than the traditional two-serve format. “Why do you serve twice in tennis?” he asked. “It’s 30 extra seconds of someone bouncing the ball. People don’t want to see that.”

Pique also suggested that the deuce-advantage system should be scrapped in favor of a “golden point” at 40-40. “They don’t want to watch a game with deuce-advantage-deuce-advantage for five minutes,” he said.

While Pique’s proposals are likely to spark debate within the tennis community, it remains to be seen whether they will gain traction with governing bodies. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has traditionally been cautious when it comes to making significant changes to the game’s format.

In recent years, tennis has introduced some innovations, such as the deciding point at 40-40 in doubles and the match tie-break in the third set. However, these changes have been relatively minor, and the sport’s governing bodies have been reluctant to make more radical changes to the singles format.

Pique’s proposals are likely to be met with skepticism by some within the tennis community, who may argue that the traditional format is an integral part of the game’s appeal. However, with the sport facing increasing competition from other forms of entertainment, it is clear that tennis needs to continue to evolve and adapt in order to remain relevant.

As Pique noted, the sport’s governing bodies must be willing to consider new ideas and innovations if they are to attract a new generation of fans. “We tried to change certain things, but there’s no way,” he said. “The ITF doesn’t want to change anything.”