Many who are worried about the future of tennis say the sport "takes too long and puts too many limits on fans," so they are "pushing for change," according to Tom Perrotta of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said the game has "too many moments of down time." USTA Dir of Communications Chris Widmaier in a statement said, "Pace of play is an area that can be improved, and (we) are exploring concepts that can address this.” But he said that no "immediate changes were planned." Initiatives on the wish list for the U.S. Open include "allowing fans seated in the lower bowl of Arthur Ashe Stadium to come and go as they please, rather than having to wait every third game to move." ATP Exec Chair & President Chris Kermode "would like to get rid of lets and reduce the length of pre-match warm-ups." Perrotta notes the sport has seen "few major changes over the years, save the tiebreak and, more recently, instant replays for disputed line calls." But the "appetite for change is slowly increasing." World TeamTennis is "using a shot clock to keep players from dawdling between points." WTT Commissioner & CEO Ilana Kloss said, "Our sport has got to make some changes to make it more fan friendly and more interesting beyond just the tennis fan if we want to grow." WTT co-Founder Billie Jean King said that the sport "could have even greater financial success if it solved a long-standing problem and increased participation" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/29).
