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After Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the one-time elite competitor described how she had "reached her limit."

"The calendar is overwhelming. Psychologically and emotionally, I am drained, and, sadly, I'm not alone," she wrote.

The Ukrainian athlete Elina Svitolina, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had already declared she was not in "the mental space" to carry on, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also believe the calendar is overly extended.

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

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nevertheless, a few weeks is not regarded as sufficient time for thorough recovery before preparations begin for an eleven-month schedule regarded as among the most onerous in professional sport.

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

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

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

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

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season covered 47 weeks for many male competitors, commencing with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and finishing with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The women's season ended two weeks earlier when the tour finals concluded in early November. The governing body moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to alleviate scheduling concerns.

ATP officials claim it does not take the concerns of the players "without seriousness," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "always remain a top priority."

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

Restructuring the calendar is an obvious solution 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 longer break, or can we buy time during the season so there is a brief respite," noted 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 reduced the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will reduce "overall demands" on the players.

"A factor frequently ignored: players select their own tournament plans," stated ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"This level of choice is unusual in pro sports. But with that comes responsibility - knowing when to push and when to recover."

Extending several required events 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 spending more days away," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are concerns about the increased physical demands.

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to player association statistics.

The organization says these "anticipated spikes" are down to the structure of the calendar and the transitions between court surfaces.

Fewer Late Nights & More Ball Consistency

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

In 2024, the tours brought in a new rule stopping matches beginning past 11pm.

But there have still been instances of matches finishing well past midnight - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

"After a match concludes, an athlete's day isn't over," said Dr. Sikka.

"You have to do media, recover, work with the physiotherapist. Your day doesn't finish until much later.

"The physical and neurological systems lack adequate time to recuperate. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

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

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

A former US Open champion, who stepped away last year with an chronic wrist problem, thinks tournaments in the same seasonal segment should use one uniform ball.

"Implementing this would not be overly complex - the same ball for clay, the same for hard and the same for grass. That would be extremely beneficial to the players," he said.

The tours began using a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and expect "full alignment" in the coming years.

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must take cues from how American team sports use data to direct the wellbeing of its stars.

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL required consistent playing surfaces and advanced helmet technology to reduce the risk of injury.

"The NFL has made many rule changes based on empirical evidence," said an analytics expert whose firm provides data to monitor player welfare.

"We've seen the economic model is skyrocketing because their games are so competitive and they're maintaining a healthy roster.

"Their financial commitment matches their rhetoric by protecting athletes and investing hugely – that model is the exemplar."

Other leagues have implemented policies aimed at protecting pitchers, 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 young age is a major contributor in their injuries later on.

"We pick up a racket as kids and have so many countless swings of our groundstrokes," said the former champion.

"At some point it goes on the wrist. Way more players have problems with the wrist. I think the problem is the many, many repetitions."

Competitors Seek Adjustments - What Are the Key Issues?

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 increasing demands on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as substantive discussions about the tour schedule duration, elongated tournaments and scheduling.

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

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 daily routine is a "challenge" but thinks top players "complaining about the calendar" is not a good look.

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