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After Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight described how she had "encountered a barrier."

"The schedule is too much. Mentally and emotionally I'm at breaking point, and, unfortunately, I'm not alone," she stated.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had already announced she was not in "the mental space" to persist, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also think the calendar is overly extended.

This subject is still being argued as the world's leading tennis players reconvene in Australia for the beginning of the 2026 season.

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nevertheless, a handful of weeks is not considered enough time for adequate rest before preparations begin for an 11-month campaign regarded as among the most onerous in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," commented 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.

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

So what is being done and what additional measures could be enacted?

Shortening the Season

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

The women's season ended two weeks earlier when the WTA Finals finished in early November. The governing body 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 "without seriousness," while the women's tour asserts player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

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

Restructuring the calendar is an apparent fix but cannot be accomplished simply 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 extended off season, or can we buy time during the season so there is a short hiatus," noted 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 cut the number of events which are included in the rankings for 2026, which it believes will lessen "overall demands" on the players.

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

"That freedom is rare in professional sport. But with that comes responsibility - knowing when to push and when to recover."

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

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're away from home for extended periods," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are worries about the rising 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 tour schedule layout and the switches in court surfaces.

Fewer Late Nights & More Ball Consistency

When a notable match at the Australian Open concluded in the wee hours in 2023, it seemed set to trigger adjustments.

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

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

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

"Media interviews, rehabilitation, and treatment are required. 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."

Different tournaments playing with different balls - leading to changes in feel and performance - has been cited as a source of more frequent upper body injuries.

"I've had a lot of injuries in my arm, my shoulder, my wrist," stated one top British player, "and I'm seeing more and more of these injuries across the tours."

A former US Open champion, who ended his career last year with an chronic wrist problem, argues tournaments in the same circuit 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 standardized equipment policy during 2025 and expect "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

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

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL required consistent playing surfaces and enhanced 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.

"We've seen the economic model is skyrocketing because their games are so competitive and they're keeping players out on the field.

"They are investing heavily in their stated goals by protecting athletes and devoting significant resources – that model is the gold standard."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting specific positions, 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 young age is a key element in their injuries later on.

"Training begins in childhood and have so many iterations 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."

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

An growing group of players are becoming vocal about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a coalition of top players 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 "ridiculous" he was only able to take one week off before the next campaign.

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative exhibition events.

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

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