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After Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the ex-top ten player described how she had "reached her limit."

"The calendar is overwhelming. Psychologically and emotionally, I am drained, and, sadly, I'm not alone," she stated.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had previously announced she was not in "the psychological condition" to continue, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore believe the calendar is too long.

The topic is still being argued as the world's top tennis players reconvene in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. However, a few weeks is not seen as enough time for proper recovery before training starts 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," said Dr. Robby Sikka, chief medical officer at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Points and games are more extended, 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 implemented?

Shortening the Season

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

The women's circuit finished two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships wrapped up in early November. The International Tennis Federation 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 "lightly," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That did not appease the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "restrictive policies and an obvious indifference to player health."

Revamping the calendar is an apparent fix 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.

"It is crucial to evaluate whether we can buy back time at the end of the year for an longer break, or can we buy time during the season so there is a brief respite," said 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 reduced the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will lessen "overall demands" on the players.

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

"That freedom is rare in professional sport. But with that comes obligation - understanding when to compete and when to rest."

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

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're spending more days away," opined Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

Alongside mental burnout, there are apprehensions about the growing physical demands.

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in particular times of the year, according to player association statistics.

The organization says these "foreseeable patterns" are down to the structure of the calendar and the switches in court surfaces.

Fewer Late Nights & More Ball Consistency

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

In 2024, the tours implemented a new rule stopping matches beginning past 11pm.

But there have still been instances of matches finishing well past midnight - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

"Once the final point is played, a player's duties continue," said Dr. Sikka.

"Media interviews, rehabilitation, and treatment are required. Your day doesn't finish until much later.

"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 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," said one top British player, "and such ailments are increasingly prevalent among peers."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an persistent wrist issue, thinks tournaments in the same seasonal segment 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 anticipate "total consistency" in the coming years.

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to guide the welfare of its stars.

Using data-led analysis, the NFL demanded consistent playing surfaces and improved helmet technology to reduce 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.

"We've seen the economic model is skyrocketing because their games are so competitive and they're maintaining a healthy roster.

"They are investing heavily in their stated goals 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 age restrictions.

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

"We pick up a racket as kids and have so many repetitions 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 increasing number 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 increased portion of tournament income, as well as meaningful consultation about the tour schedule duration, longer competitions 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.

Sympathy can be in short supply, 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 "criticizing the calendar" is not a good look.

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