🔗 Share this article

At the point when Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the ex-top ten player described how she had "reached her limit."

"The itinerary is excessive. My mental and emotional state is frayed, and, unfortunately, I'm not alone," she expressed.

The Ukrainian athlete Elina Svitolina, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had earlier announced she was not in "the right headspace" to continue, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore are convinced the calendar is excessively lengthy.

This subject remains under discussion as the world's top tennis players reconvene in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nevertheless, several weeks is not seen as adequate time for adequate recuperation before preparations begin for an 11-month campaign seen as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," said Dr. Robby Sikka, head of medicine at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"The duration of play has increased, players are faster, they're hitting the ball harder.

"It is our obligation to shield the competitors and give them a more manageable sport."

So what measures are in place and what additional measures could be enacted?

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season covered 47 weeks for many players on the ATP circuit, beginning with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and ending with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The women's circuit ended two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships wrapped up in early November. The ITF moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to address scheduling concerns.

The men's tour states it does not take the concerns of the players "without seriousness," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which commenced proceedings against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "unfair practices and a clear neglect of athlete well-being."

Overhauling the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be implemented readily given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"We need to think about whether we can create more time at the end of the year for an extended off season, or can we allow for a pause during the season so there is a mini-break," said Dr. Sikka.

Former world number one Andy Roddick, a consistent campaigner for adjustments, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has cut the number of events which are included in the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will lessen "overall demands" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players determine their own playing calendar," commented ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"Such autonomy is uncommon in elite athletics. But with that comes responsibility - recognizing the right time to play and the right time to heal."

Prolonging several compulsory competitions across a fortnight - creating so-called 'super weeks' - has also been faulted.

"In my view, athletes are more psychologically drained and exhausted because they're being on the road longer," opined Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

Alongside mental burnout, there are apprehensions about the rising physical demands.

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to PTPA research.

The organization says these "predictable clusters" are down to the tour schedule layout and the turnarounds between court surfaces.

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

When a memorable contest at the Australian Open ended in the middle of the night in 2023, it was expected to drive reform.

In 2024, the tours brought in a new rule stopping matches starting after 11pm.

But there have persisted instances of matches finishing well past midnight - which medical experts argue must not be glorified.

"Once the final point is played, a player's duties continue," said Dr. Sikka.

"You have to do media, recover, work with the physiotherapist. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"Your body, brain and nerves don't have chance to recover. There is no other sport which mandates that."

The use of varying balls at different events - leading to changes in feel and performance - has been cited as a source of increased upper body injuries.

"I've had a lot of injuries in my arm, my shoulder, my wrist," commented one top British player, "and such ailments are increasingly prevalent among peers."

A former US Open champion, who ended his career last year with an chronic wrist problem, thinks tournaments in the same swing should use one type of ball.

"It shouldn't be too difficult - the same ball for clay, the same for hard and the same for grass. That would be incredibly useful to the players," he said.

The tours adopted a more standardized equipment policy during 2025 and expect "full alignment" in the coming years.

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

Sports scientists believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to guide the welfare of its stars.

Following data-led analysis, the NFL mandated consistent playing surfaces and improved helmet technology to reduce the risk of injury.

"The league has altered its regulations using concrete research," said an analytics expert whose firm provides data to monitor player welfare.

"Their commercial success has soared because their games are so competitive and they're maintaining a healthy roster.

"They're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the exemplar."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their throws at the professional level and putting guidelines for juniors.

Some retired players believe the stress put on the upper body of tennis players from a very early stage is a major contributor in their injuries later on.

"Training begins in childhood and have so many repetitions of our groundstrokes," said the former champion.

"Eventually, the wrist bears the brunt. Way more players have problems with the wrist. I think the problem is the many, many repetitions."

Players 'Motivated' for Change - What Do They Want?

An increasing number of players are finding their voice about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a group of stars ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as genuine dialogue about the calendar extent, elongated tournaments and fixture planning.

Last year, a top-ten American player said it was "absurd" he was only able to take one week off before the next campaign.

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative exhibition events.

One Grand Slam champion from Britain says the daily routine is a "challenge" but thinks top players "moaning about the calendar" is not a good look.

"{Uniform