Nadal, Djokovic Will Benefit From 25-Second Shot Clock Rule, ATP Executive Says

The Association of Tennis Professionals​ has introduced a 25-second shot clock in order to speed up the time taken between points and this rule change has not gone down well with all the players, mainly Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

The US Open will be the first Grand Slam to implement the rule in 2018 and the Spaniard, currently ranked number one in the world has voiced his concern and so has the Serbian. Both the players are known for their long drawn process before they go into their serving action, but now they will have to speed it up to avoid a time penalty.

However, ATP executive rules and competition vice president Gayle Bradshaw insists that it will benefit the top players as they will be able to take advantage over the limited time their rivals get to rest between points.

Bradshaw cited the example of Nadal, who generally tires out his opponents by making them move across the court with long points and the shot clock is likely to ensure they do not get enough time to recover.

The Spaniard and Djokovic are certain to struggle at the start, but the ATP executive is certain the rule change will have its benefits in the long run. Bradshaw believes that currently there is inconsistency in terms of the referees penalizing the players for wasting time in between points in order to break their opponents’ rhythm.

“Both those guys, when they see the time, will adapt,” Bradshaw said, as quoted by the Express. “Rafa, I think it's going to be a benefit, wearing down other guys after chasing down his balls.”

“There may be some bumps along the way but I think in the long run it's going to be a positive for everybody. I’m optimistic this is really going to be a big plus. I think there's some anxiety because it's new, but once they get out and try it they will be fine with it,” he added. “If you have a great point, people go crazy, they (umpires) will wait until applause dies down. When players hear the score, they know the clock has started."

“Umpires will be expected to give a time violation if it goes to zero if they haven't started their motion. A lot of times it has been common sense to do that. A lot of times it has not. It's the inconsistency that frustrates the players,” the ATP rules and competition vice-president explained.

World number three Alexander Zverev was asked about the rule change and the German admitted it will not make a difference to him as he is one of the quickest between points on the tour. He is currently defending his title at the Citi Open in Washington, where the rule is being trialed and admits it is a benefit going into the major tournaments later in the year with a 25-second shot clock.

“They have explained it to us,” Zverev said, according to Tennis World USA. “It's a change. I think it's a good thing they are trying it out before the US Open. I'm one of the fastest players out there, so I don't think it will change much for me. It will be important to listen to players' reactions, to hear their opinions. It's going to be important for the ATP as well.”