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After Daria Kasatkina ended her 2025 season early in October, the ex-top ten player explained how she had "hit a wall."

"The itinerary is excessive. My mental and emotional state is frayed, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she expressed.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had already revealed she was not in "the mental space" to carry on, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also think the calendar is too long.

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

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. Nevertheless, a few weeks is not regarded as sufficient time for thorough recuperation before work commences for an season lasting nearly a year seen as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," stated Dr. Robby Sikka, head of medicine at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Matches and rallies are longer, 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 is being done 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 ending with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The WTA Tour season ended two weeks earlier when the WTA Finals wrapped up in early November. The International Tennis Federation 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 "casually," while WTA leadership notes 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 "restrictive policies and an obvious indifference to player health."

Overhauling the calendar is an obvious solution but cannot be implemented readily given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"We must consider whether we can create more 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 mini-break," 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 decreased the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will reduce "overall demands" on the players.

"A factor frequently ignored: players choose their own schedules," 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 'super weeks' - has also been criticized.

"In my view, athletes are more psychologically drained and exhausted because they're spending more days away," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

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

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to available data.

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

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a notable match at the Australian Open ended in the wee hours in 2023, it was expected to drive reform.

In 2024, the tours introduced a new rule stopping matches commencing later than 11pm.

But there have continued to be instances of matches ending deep into the night - which medical experts argue must not be glorified.

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

"There are press obligations, recovery sessions, and physio appointments. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"The physical and neurological systems lack adequate time to recuperate. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

The use of varying balls at different events - 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," stated 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 persistent wrist issue, believes tournaments in the same seasonal segment should use one standard ball.

"It shouldn't be too difficult - 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 centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and project "full alignment" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Sports scientists believe tennis must emulate how American team sports use data to guide 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.

"The league has altered its regulations using concrete research," 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 are investing heavily in their stated goals by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the gold standard."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting specific positions, 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 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.

"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 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 bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as substantive discussions about the length of the season, longer competitions 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 next campaign.

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players also participate in lucrative showcase matches.

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

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