The 2017 FO semi final ended the careers of both Murray and Wawrinka

christ · Futures level

RE: The 2017 FO semi final ended the careers of both Murray and Wawrinka

JonH · All-time great

I see no issue. This is pro sport, he had an obligation to try and get to number one. No one in 50 years time will remember the circumstances. 80 year old Andy Murray will simply be that former player who reached the top.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I can't see any problem. Some players will deliberately pick weaker tournaments - that's not 'unfair'. Everyone gets injured. Trying to maximise your ups while someone else is in a down seems part of the competitive nature.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, Novak in particular was struggling for a number of reasons ( Rafa and Roger were nowhere in the top rankings picture in late 2016 ) but Andy's end of year points total of 12410 was very good and in there as the 6th best end of year total since the big points changes ( largely doubling ) at the start of 2009.

With Novak having so much to defend in the first half of 2017 even without the end of year rush Andy had looked very likely to go to #1 in 2017 with a more normal program. As it was they both relatively struggled leaving Andy increasingly clear as #1 in early 2017 ( * by I think a fair bit more than these 'extra' 2016 tournament points added to his total ).

It would probably have come naturally, with such as his big masters and tour final points, and all that really changed with the additional tournaments was he advanced things a bit and had the addition of it being an end of year #1. Nice extra and I don't really see much problem in it - other than playing so much was probably unhelpful to him physically.

* edit : indeed Andy would have certainly been heading for #1 in 2017. In the 03/04/17 rankings he was more than 4000 points clear! Short of virtually stopping playing in the last couple of months of the 2016 season, with the points he had already accumulated and Novak's early 2017 points coming off, Andy's ascent to #1 would have been pretty unavoidable.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 29th of January 2019 03:03:51 PM

Lee · Lower Club Player

the fact that Andy had enough points to become number one without cramming his schedule seriously undermines my point about his no. 1 ranking being tarnished. Although close to a retraction I would first like to ask; that if he didnt need the points why did he cram his schedule ? Was it that he used his status to gain late entry to extra tournaments, but when Novak posted disappointing results found that they were not needed yet felt obliged to play anyway ?? Still feel that the point about it being influential in his later injuries remains valid though.

indiana · Tennis legend

Andy did really need the extra points to be end of year #1 as opposed to 'just' very likely becoming #1 during the first half of 2017.

I got the impression at the time that once he realised this that prospect really appealed to him and hence he went for it.

No doubt there is something extra about being the end of year #1 ( often listed for instance ) and earning the most points in a particular calender year.

But whether that was worth such effort when he seemed to be naturally heading for #1 during the following year is debatable, more especially if it was likely to / did have a bad effect on his hip which we now know was a fairly long term issue.

As I indicated I have no issue with the extra tournaments if it was just bringing his ascent to #1 forward ( that was likely to happen later anyway and as it transpired certainly would have happened ) but if it that run was influential in his later escalated injury issues then I agree it does seem very questionable and indeed probably unwise.