Just In: Andy Murray Sparks Major Tennis Controversy with Bold Call to Eliminate the Service Let as Tennis Legends Rally Behind His Radical Proposal That Could Completely Change the Game
Since retiring in 2024, the former world No. 1 has taken an interest in padel, becoming an ambassador and investor. Asked about the rules he would like to change in this sport, Murray made a proposal that also applies to tennis.
Murray wants to eliminate the let on serve
The Brit would especially like to remove the let on serve, when the ball touches the net before landing in the service box. “I would probably get rid of that. Same for tennis, I don’t like it.”
This idea is not new in the tennis world. At Wimbledon, Martina Navratilova also advocated for removing this rule during the quarterfinal between Karolina Muchova and Naomi Osaka. The American legend then said on BBC One: “Get rid of it, you know I talk about it all the time. Nobody is moving things forward on that. Get rid of it, it’s completely useless! No, play the ball! It’s a live ball, continue the point. Occasionally, there is a player who makes an incredible shot, but that happens once every three matches. So just play the ball. Most lets are just a small hiccup in the rally: keep playing and let’s speed up the pace.”
McEnroe also in favor
John McEnroe also shares this desire to change the rule. “Play the lets, why not? I would play them. I think it would make the rallies more interesting. But I think the best players would be against it, because it would introduce more uncertainty and an element of luck. That’s why I don’t think this rule will change, even though personally, I would love to see it change.”
