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When Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight explained how she had "encountered a barrier."

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

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had earlier announced she was not in "the right headspace" to continue, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also believe the calendar is too long.

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

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. Nonetheless, several weeks is not considered sufficient time for adequate rest before work commences for an eleven-month schedule regarded as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," commented Dr. Robby Sikka, medical director 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 actions are being taken and what next actions could be implemented?

Condensing the Tour Schedule

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many players on the ATP circuit, starting with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and finishing with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The WTA Tour season finished two weeks earlier when the WTA Finals wrapped up in early November. The ITF moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to address scheduling concerns.

The ATP Tour says it does not take the concerns of the players "casually," while the women's tour asserts player welfare will "always remain a top priority."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit 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 significant influence.

"We must consider whether we can buy back 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 brief respite," said 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 decreased the number of events which count towards the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will reduce "the cumulative strain" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players choose their own schedules," commented ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"Such autonomy is uncommon in elite athletics. But with that comes responsibility - recognizing the right time to play and the right time to heal."

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

"I believe competitors are more worn out mentally and physically 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 apprehensions about the growing physical demands.

Players experience a higher rate of upper-body injuries in particular times of the year, according to PTPA research.

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

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a memorable contest at the Australian Open ended in the wee hours in 2023, it promised to spark change.

In 2024, the tours introduced a new rule prohibiting matches beginning past 11pm.

But there have continued to be instances of matches finishing well past midnight - which medical experts insist.

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

"There are press obligations, recovery sessions, and physio appointments. 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 weight and pace - 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 such ailments are increasingly prevalent among peers."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an ongoing wrist injury, argues tournaments in the same circuit should use one uniform 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 adopted a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and expect "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

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

Following data-led analysis, the NFL mandated consistent playing surfaces and enhanced helmet technology to lessen 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.

"Their commercial success has soared 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 introduced rules aimed at protecting pitchers, 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 very early stage is a major contributor in their injuries later on.

"Training begins in childhood and have so many repetitions of our groundstrokes," said the former champion.

"Eventually, the wrist bears the brunt. 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 collection of elite athletes ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as genuine dialogue about the tour schedule duration, extended events and scheduling.

Last year, a top-ten American player said it was "unreasonable" 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 showcase matches.

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

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