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Rafael Nadal wants a change to the world rankings system to ensure clashes such as Novak Djokovic’s French Open marquee match-up with Juan Martin del Potro are not relegated to the grand slam early rounds.
Former US Open champion and ex-number four Del Potro was only seeded 25 this year after missing virtually all of the 2010 season with a wrist injury to find himself a lowly 485 in the world at the end of January.
Nadal believes that the rankings should be based on a two-year system rather than the current single year which would allow greater flexibility for players sidelined for long periods.
“To have less problems on this is to have two years of ranking – not only one year of ranking,” said world No.1 Nadal, who is becoming weary of the slow progress of tennis politics.
“For sure if you stop being number five in the world, you are not going to be number six when you come back, but maybe you are going to be 14 or 15. If you have an injury for three months, five months, you are done.”
Nadal, who along with the likes of Roger Federer sits on the Players Council, hinted that he was tiring of the grind of committee work.
But he’s not convinced that there is an appetite for change which may benefit the players, both in the short term and in the future.
“It’s tiring for me to be all the time fighting and trying to have new ideas to improve,” said five-time French Open winner Nadal.
“All the changes need lot of time, and that’s disappointing. It seems like I am working all the time for the next generation, and I would love to have something for my generation.”
Nadal believes a change in the way the rankings work will also boost the longevity of the top players, allowing them to be more selective in their tournament choices.
“I am only 25, but it seems like I am playing for 100 years on the tour. That’s not possible,” he said.
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