Sunday marked the end of a longstanding tradition at Newport's Tennis Hall of Fame

NEWPORT — Sunday afternoon was the last of its kind in Newport.

Change comes to the Infosys Hall of Fame Open starting in 2025. The men’s singles tournament at the Newport Casino will take on a new format, dropping from ATP-level status. A corresponding women’s draw will be introduced and formal induction ceremonies for the game’s greats will be pushed back to August.

It doesn’t seem all that seismic when spelled out in black and white. Drop one field to Challenger designation, offer something new alongside it and create a weekend all its own for the sport’s legends. Simple enough.

What it represents is another shift away from tradition in the name of business. The everyday folks on the grounds here — chief operating officer and tournament director Brewer Rowe, director of tennis Bill Mountford, senior vice president for content and partnerships Julianna Barbieri — aren’t to blame. Their primary goal has always been to serve the game itself, and they will continue to do so nobly.

This flashes back to something like the feeling when the city was truly in its Gilded Age. The richest and most powerful among us seem hungrier to consolidate their respective positions than they’ve been in decades. Those who financially back the sport at large are pulling the strings on significant changes in the tour’s yearly schedule.

“I was close to not playing because I just needed to recover,” eventual champion Marcos Giron said Saturday, barely 24 hours ahead of his three-set triumph over Alex Michelsen in the final. “Coming out here, it’s actually been quite rejuvenating.”

There’s no disputing the travel that comes with professional tennis is punishing. Players stay in Europe for the better part of three months while transitioning from the clay courts at the French Open to the grass courts at Wimbledon. The week following London has never been the most convenient time for players to pack their bags, lace up their sneakers and compete again here, but they’ve done so faithfully since the event was founded in 1976.

The last two finalists were fairly representative of most fields in recent years. Michelsen is a young player finding his way on tour. Giron is a veteran who saw an opportunity to pick up some valuable rankings points.

Those who came before — with the occasional complaint about a funky bounce or two off the traditional grass playing surfaces — speak highly of the general experience. Giron contemplated just starting the hardcourt season leading to the U.S. Open but was partly persuaded to enter by Sam Querrey and Stevie Johnson. The two Americans were 2009 runner-up and 2018 winner here, respectively.

“They’re competing, but in a way it’s also a little bit of a vacation week,” Giron said. “It was very relaxing for them. I knew it was going to be nice.”

This tournament has often been a space for something approaching comfort in a world where the relentless push for constant growth barely allows it. Larger fields, more points at stake, greater prize money — that’s what really provided the killer blow here. Corporate jargon like strategic initiatives and long-term vision are always window dressing for labor and the public at large paying more of a price.

This runs parallel to what’s currently happening in college sports. Stanford will play Florida State in the ACC, USC will play Rutgers in the Big Ten, Texas will play Mississippi State in the SEC — all of this in the name of football riches. Network executives and streaming services finally prevailed upon college presidents to abandon any principles they once held dear and chase what they consider to be a means of survival.

A select few will endure. The rest of us will be consigned to whatever remains, and some will find satisfaction in it. Davis Cup ties, future college tournaments, expanded programs for kids and adults learning to play the game — the staff here will lean into any number of creative options, and it’s not the first time they’ve been forced to pivot.

But make no mistake. Sunday marked the end of something far closer to purity than what the ATP will introduce elsewhere in the coming years. Change doesn’t always feel like it’s for the better.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Sunday marked the end of a longstanding tradition at Newport's Tennis Hall of Fame