🔗 Share this article

When Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the one-time elite competitor explained how she had "hit a wall."

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

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had already declared she was not in "the mental space" to carry on, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore believe the calendar is too long.

This subject remains under discussion as the world's leading tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the start of the 2026 season.

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. Nevertheless, a few weeks is not seen as enough time for thorough recovery before training starts for an 11-month campaign regarded as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," stated Dr. Robby Sikka, medical director at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Points and games are more extended, players are faster, they're hitting the ball harder.

"We owe it to our players to protect them and give them a more sustainable sport."

So what actions are being taken and what further steps could be enacted?

Condensing the Tour Schedule

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 WTA Tour season ended two weeks earlier when the WTA Finals wrapped up in early November. The International Tennis Federation 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 "lightly," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which began legal action against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "restrictive policies and an obvious indifference to player health."

Revamping the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be achieved easily given the complex nature of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have significant influence.

"We need to think about whether we can create more time at the end of the year for an longer break, or can we create space during the season so there is a short hiatus," said Dr. Sikka.

Former world number one Andy Roddick, a long-time advocate for change, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has decreased the number of events which count towards 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 accountability - recognizing the right time to play and the right time to heal."

Extending several mandatory tournaments across a fortnight - creating so-called 'extended events' - 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.

As well as mental burnout, there are concerns about the increased physical demands.

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in particular times of the year, according to available data.

The organization says these "foreseeable patterns" are down to the structure of the calendar and the switches in court surfaces.

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a high-profile game at the Australian Open finished in the middle of the night in 2023, it promised to spark change.

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

But there have persisted instances of matches concluding long after midnight - which medical experts insist.

"When you are done playing you just don't go home," said Dr. Sikka.

"There are press obligations, recovery sessions, and physio appointments. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"There is insufficient opportunity for the body and mind to heal. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

The use of varying balls at different events - leading to changes in bounce and speed - has been identified as a source of more frequent upper body injuries.

"I've had a lot of injuries in my arm, my shoulder, my 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, believes tournaments in the same seasonal segment 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 moved towards a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and project "total consistency" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to inform the welfare of its stars.

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

"American football has implemented numerous reforms driven by data," 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.

"They're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and devoting significant resources – that model is the exemplar."

Other leagues have implemented policies aimed at protecting throwers, limiting their workload at the professional level and putting limits for young players.

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

"We pick up a racket as kids 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 increasing number of players are speaking out about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a collection of elite athletes increasing demands on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as genuine dialogue about the tour schedule duration, extended events and match timing.

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

Sympathy can be in short supply, though, given top players occasionally sign up for lucrative non-tour contests.

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

"{Uniform