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When Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight detailed how she had "reached her limit."

"The schedule is too much. Psychologically and emotionally, I am drained, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she stated.

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

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

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. However, several weeks is not seen as enough time for thorough recuperation before work commences for an 11-month campaign regarded as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"The demands of tennis are harder than ever before," stated 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.

"It is our obligation to shield the competitors and give them a more viable sport."

So what actions are being taken and what next actions could be taken?

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 concluding with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The women's season ended two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships concluded in early November. The ITF moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to alleviate scheduling concerns.

The ATP Tour says it does not take the concerns of the players "casually," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That did not appease the PTPA, which commenced proceedings against the men's and women's tours in March, citing "restrictive policies and an obvious indifference to player health."

Overhauling the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be implemented readily given the complicated structure of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"We must consider whether we can reclaim time at the end of the year for an more substantial rest period, 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 decreased the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will diminish "overall demands" on the players.

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

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

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

"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.

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

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in certain months, according to PTPA research.

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

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

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

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

But there have continued to be instances of matches concluding long after midnight - which medical experts argue must not be glorified.

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

"Media interviews, rehabilitation, and treatment are required. Your day extends well beyond the match.

"There is insufficient opportunity for the body and mind to heal. No other major sport imposes such conditions."

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

"I have suffered numerous arm, shoulder, and wrist issues," said one top British player, "and I'm seeing more and more of these injuries across the tours."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an persistent wrist issue, argues 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 moved towards a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and project "full alignment" in the coming years.

Learn from NFL & Protect Young Players

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

Using data-led analysis, the NFL mandated consistent playing surfaces and improved helmet technology to minimize 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're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and devoting significant resources – that model is the benchmark."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their workload at the professional level and putting guidelines for juniors.

Some retired players believe the stress put on the upper body of tennis players from a young age is a significant factor 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.

"Eventually, the wrist bears the brunt. 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 collection of elite athletes applying force on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as genuine dialogue about the calendar extent, elongated tournaments and fixture planning.

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

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players occasionally sign up for lucrative non-tour contests.

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

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