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After Daria Kasatkina ended her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the ex-top ten player explained how she had "encountered a barrier."

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

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had already announced she was not in "the mental space" to carry on, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also believe the calendar is overly extended.

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

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nevertheless, a handful of weeks is not seen as enough time for adequate recuperation before training starts for an 11-month campaign seen as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," said 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 is being done and what additional measures could be enacted?

Reducing the Calendar Length

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

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

ATP officials claim it does not take the concerns of the players "lightly," 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, citing "anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare."

Restructuring the calendar is an obvious solution but cannot be implemented readily given the complex nature 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 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 reduced the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it believes will reduce "overall demands" on the players.

"A factor frequently ignored: players choose their own schedules," commented ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"Such autonomy is uncommon in elite athletics. But with that comes accountability - knowing when to push and when to recover."

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

"I believe competitors are more worn out mentally and physically because they're away from home for extended periods," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

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

Players experience a higher rate of upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to player association statistics.

The organization says these "foreseeable patterns" are down to the seasonal itinerary and the transitions between court surfaces.

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

When a high-profile game at the Australian Open concluded in the early hours in 2023, it promised to spark change.

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

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

"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 end at midnight.

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

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

"My career has been plagued by injuries to the arm and wrist," said 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, believes tournaments in the same swing should use one type of ball.

"This should be a straightforward solution - 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 unified ball-approval process during 2025 and project "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Learn from NFL & Protect Young Players

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must emulate 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 improved helmet technology to reduce 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.

"Their commercial success has soared 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 investing hugely – that model is the benchmark."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting throwers, limiting their throws at the professional level and putting limits for young players.

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

"We start playing from such an early age and have so many countless swings 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."

Competitors Seek Adjustments - What Are the Key Issues?

An rising contingent of players are speaking out 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 increased portion of tournament income, as well as genuine dialogue about the tour schedule duration, longer competitions 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 next campaign.

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players also participate in lucrative exhibition events.

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

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