And he offered cautious support to a plan which would involve extending by an extra week the fortnight’s gap between the French Open and Wimbledon.

Gorringe, who stressed that Wimbledon would take place on its traditional dates for at least the next two years, said: “We believe there is a good case for extending the current gap of two weeks between the French Open and The Championships by a third week.

“It would help players in their preparation for Wimbledon, both in making the transition from clay to grass as well as giving them the chance to recover from the rigours of a demanding clay court season or injury.

“As far as the wider tennis calendar is concerned, it could be good for the game for there to be a fresh look, but any changes will obviously have to be supported by the players.”

Grand Slam event chairmen are meeting in Melbourne ahead of next week’s Australian Open to thrash out a much-needed blueprint for the future of the game.

The Australians are anxious to move their tournament to March after a spate of big-name withdrawals this year and frequent complaints that the event is devalued by being played too near the start of the season.

That would also pave the way for a seven-week break over the new year for which there is a great deal of support among leading players.

The change in Grand Slam dates would have knock-on implications for smaller tournaments, many of which have struggled with dwindling crowds in recent years as fewer big names could be persuaded to take part.

And a shift in the Wimbledon date would also mean a shake-up of the Lawn Tennis Association’s grass-court season, in particular the flagship Stella Artois tournament at Queen’s Club.

Assuming Queen’s followed Wimbledon’s lead and shifted back a week it would clash with Royal Ascot – and corporate revenue might be expected to drop by over one fifth as a result.