🔗 Share this article

When Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight described how she had "reached her limit."

"The schedule is too much. My mental and emotional state is frayed, and, sadly, I'm not alone," she expressed.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had already revealed she was not in "the right headspace" to continue, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also are convinced the calendar is excessively lengthy.

This issue continues to be debated as the world's leading tennis players gather again in Australia for the start of the 2026 season.

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nevertheless, a handful of weeks is not regarded as enough time for adequate recuperation before training starts for an eleven-month schedule regarded as among the most onerous in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," stated Dr. Robby Sikka, head of medicine at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Matches and rallies are longer, players are faster, they're hitting the ball harder.

"We have a duty to safeguard our athletes and give them a more manageable sport."

So what measures are in place and what further steps could be taken?

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season covered 47 weeks for many men on tour, commencing with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and concluding with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The women's circuit finished two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships concluded in early November. The ITF moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to help combat scheduling concerns.

ATP officials claim it does not take the concerns of the players "casually," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "perpetually be the highest focus."

That did not appease the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare."

Overhauling the calendar is an apparent fix but cannot be achieved easily given the complicated structure of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"It is crucial to evaluate whether we can create more time at the end of the year for an more substantial rest period, 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 vocal proponent of reform, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has decreased the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will lessen "the cumulative strain" on the players.

"One point that often gets overlooked: players choose their own schedules," remarked ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"That freedom is rare in professional sport. But with that comes responsibility - understanding when to compete and when to rest."

Prolonging several compulsory competitions across a fortnight - creating so-called 'mini Slams' - has also been criticized.

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're being on the road longer," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

As well as mental burnout, there are apprehensions about the rising physical demands.

Players experience a higher rate of upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to available data.

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

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a high-profile game at the Australian Open concluded in the wee hours in 2023, it was expected to drive reform.

In 2024, the tours brought in a new rule prohibiting matches commencing later than 11pm.

But there have persisted instances of matches concluding long after midnight - which medical experts argue must not be glorified.

"When you are done playing you just don't go home," added 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."

A lack of standardization in tournament equipment - leading to changes in feel and performance - has been pointed to as a source of increased upper body injuries.

"My career has been plagued by injuries to the arm and wrist," commented one top British player, "and I'm seeing more and more of these injuries across the tours."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an ongoing wrist injury, thinks tournaments in the same seasonal segment should use one standard ball.

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

The tours moved towards a more standardized equipment policy during 2025 and project "full alignment" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Medical researchers believe tennis must take cues from how American team sports use data to inform the wellbeing of its stars.

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL required consistent playing surfaces and improved helmet technology to lessen 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.

"The financial returns have increased dramatically because their games are so competitive and they're ensuring star athletes are available.

"Their financial commitment matches their rhetoric by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the benchmark."

Other leagues have introduced rules aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their workload at the professional level and putting limits for young players.

Some retired players believe the strain put on the upper body of tennis players from a tender age is a significant factor in their injuries later on.

"We start playing from such an early age and have so many repetitions of our groundstrokes," said the former champion.

"Over time, the wrist suffers the consequences. 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 rising contingent of players are finding their voice about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a collection of elite athletes ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as genuine dialogue about the length of the season, elongated tournaments and fixture planning.

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

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players occasionally sign up for lucrative non-tour contests.

One Grand Slam champion from Britain says the grind is a "difficulty" but thinks top players "criticizing the calendar" is not a good look.

"{Uniform