Latest Posts

The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger The Code, Principle 9: When Partners See It Differently Jannik Sinner’s Shoulder Activation Drill with a Weighted Ball Tennis Beyond the Headlines: May 11, 2026 Where Clutch Comes From (Hint: Tournaments) The Problem with Single-Match Playoffs Court Space Isn’t the Problem

Voluntary Consolation… If You Insist

One of the primary arguments that people make in support of voluntary consolation is that it prevents players from having to wait around a day (or more) before back draw play begins. That line of reasoning conveniently neglects to consider that a traditional voluntary consolation draw requires ALL the players to wait even longer than the worst case scenario from the traditional First Match Loser’s Consolation (FMLC) back draw. You cannot make a voluntary consolation draw without knowing the exact number of players that will elect to participate.

1 response

Voluntary Consolation and Mosquito Bites

Voluntary consolation is a variation of the First Match Loser’s Consolation (FMLC) draw. In that format, players that lose their first match have the option of signing up to participate in a back draw. Participation is not mandatory and the player has to explicitly opt-in. A significant number of players and organizers believe that voluntary consolation would be a good thing for tournament tennis. They’re wrong. Voluntary consolation is like scratching a mosquito bite. It feels like the right thing to do in the moment, but ultimately it only makes the problem worse.

1 response