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

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

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had already revealed she was not in "the right headspace" to carry on, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore are convinced the calendar is excessively lengthy.

This subject is still being argued as the world's leading tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nevertheless, a handful of weeks is not seen as sufficient time for proper rest before work commences for an eleven-month schedule seen as among the most demanding in professional sport.

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," said 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 manageable sport."

So what measures are in place and what additional measures could be taken?

Condensing the Tour Schedule

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

The women's circuit concluded two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships 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 "lightly," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "always remain a top priority."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which commenced proceedings 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 clear answer but cannot be accomplished simply given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have significant influence.

"We need to think about whether we can buy back time at the end of the year for an extended off season, 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 are included in the rankings for 2026, which it believes will diminish "the cumulative strain" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players determine their own playing calendar," stated ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

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

Stretching several mandatory tournaments across a fortnight - creating so-called 'mini Slams' - has also been criticized.

"I believe competitors are more worn out mentally and physically because they're spending more days away," opined Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are apprehensions 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 "anticipated spikes" are down to the structure of the calendar and the turnarounds between court surfaces.

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

When a memorable contest at the Australian Open finished in the middle of the night in 2023, it promised to spark change.

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

But there have still been 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 finish until much later.

"The physical and neurological systems lack adequate time to recuperate. No other major sport imposes such conditions."

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

"I've had a lot of injuries in my arm, my shoulder, my wrist," stated 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, believes tournaments in the same circuit should use one standard 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 incredibly useful to the players," he said.

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

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Medical researchers believe tennis must take cues from how American team sports use data to guide the wellbeing of its stars.

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

"The league has altered its regulations using concrete research," 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're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and investing hugely – that model is the gold standard."

Other leagues have implemented policies aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their exertion 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 significant factor in their injuries later on.

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

Athletes Are Pushing for Reform - What Are Their Demands?

An increasing number of players are speaking out about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a coalition of top players applying force on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as genuine dialogue about the tour schedule duration, elongated tournaments and fixture planning.

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

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players also participate in lucrative showcase matches.

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

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