No rest for the weary at NextGen Final

Mid-match sit-downs will be strictly limited next week as the young guns of the ATP play the NextGen Finals in Milan.

Tennis bosses on Thursday revealed a new set of rule tweaks for the eight-man tournament which include allowing only one 90-second rest period on a player’s bench per set, down 30 seconds from the current Tour standard of 120.

The rest period will only come after completion of the third game in a set.

In another wrinkle designed to speed up play in hopes of attracting the fickle Gen Z crowd, the time limit of 25 seconds after the end of a point will be reduced to an eye-blink 15 seconds after an ace, double-fault or final error from the returner.

The under-21 player group gathered in Milan will have to move quickly to keep up with the changes: pre-match warm-ups will be limited to three minutes and one minute more to get into position before play begins.

On-court coaching will be given free reign, including being allowed when an opponent takes a medical timeout.  

Boffins have provided some extra input for coaches in real time, with updated statistics being transmitted to tablets in coaching boxes during matches.