Tennis fans support ATP players' demand for more influence in ATP decisions and changes to the ATP tour and calendar

We, the undersigned tennis fans from around the world, support ATP players' request for more participation in ATP decision making and changes to the ATP tour and calendar.

We do so because we are very concerned about the health of ATP players and the future of tennis as a sport.

We are concerned about the health of ATP players because of the ATP calendar for 2008. This calendar is overcrowded with tournaments in tight succession as well as back-to-back-tournaments. We feel that such a calendar threatens the health of the players.

We want tennis players to have long careers so that we can enjoy their skills and watch them improve with active competition over many years.

As the ATP announced in the media, changes to the ATP tour and calendar were introduced to improve mens tennis for the benefit of the fans as well as the players. One of the reasons given by the ATP for reducing the number of tournaments in which players would be required to play was to protect the players' health. We second the intention to protect the players' health, yet we do not feel that the 2008 calendar has met this objective.

In 2008, the dates of the first two U.S. Masters Series tournaments were moved back one week because of the NCAA basketball schedule, thereby cramming and crowding the tennis calendar. We feel sure that there were good reasons and intentions on behalf of the ATP to construct the schedule like this. But looking at the enormous stress that this change in schedule has put on the players in a year such as 2008 with Davis Cup and Olympic Games, we feel strongly that in future years other solutions must be found.

In finding these solutions, the players themselves must be heard and take part in the process. The players have been asking for more communication with the ATP and for more participation in the decision-making process. According to media reports, there was a players' meeting in Miami in March 2007 at which 60 ATP players created a petition and subsequently presented it to the ATP.

2008 has seen another players petition, according to media reports, signed by top 20 players Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, David Ferrer, Andy Roddick, David Nalbadian, Richard Gasquet, James Blake, Tomas Berdych, Mikhail Youzhny, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andy Murray, Tommy Robredo, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Juan Monaco, asking to be heard and to be involved in discussions on Etienne de Villiers future and in other decisions.

We feel that it is a very sad situation when players have to sign petitions in order to be heard by the very organization that supposedly represents them. We want this situation to be changed for the sake of the game, and for the sake of the health of the players.

We support the players' request to be heard and to take part in decision making and changes to the ATP tour and calendar. We understand that financial aspects and interests of the tour have to be considered, too. It is a very difficult and complicated situation to take into account all interests and find solutions that make everyone happy. This is why we feel that it is even more important that the players are listened to and involved.

We want tennis players to feel fully represented by the ATP and we want to see that their health is protected by ATP officials, tour rules, and calendar. When this happens, tennis players can focus completely on their game and careers, and fans all over the world can enjoy their tremendous talent and watch them improve with active competition over the years.