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When Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season early in October, the former world number eight described how she had "hit a wall."

"The itinerary is excessive. Mentally and emotionally I'm at breaking point, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she wrote.

The Ukrainian athlete Elina Svitolina, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had earlier revealed she was not in "the psychological condition" to continue, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz additionally believe the calendar is too long.

The topic is still being argued as the world's leading tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the beginning of the 2026 season.

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nonetheless, a handful of weeks is not considered adequate time for adequate recovery before training starts for an 11-month campaign seen as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"The demands of tennis are harder than ever before," stated Dr. Robby Sikka, chief medical officer at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Matches and rallies are longer, players are faster, they're hitting the ball harder.

"We have a duty to safeguard our athletes and give them a more viable sport."

So what actions are being taken and what further steps could be enacted?

Reducing the Calendar Length

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

The women's season ended two weeks earlier when the WTA Finals concluded in early November. The ITF moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to alleviate 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 did not placate 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 implemented readily given the complex nature of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"It is crucial to evaluate whether we can reclaim 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 vocal proponent of reform, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has cut the number of events which are included in the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will reduce "overall demands" on the players.

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

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

Stretching several required events across a fortnight - creating so-called 'extended events' - has also been criticized.

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

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

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in certain months, according to player association statistics.

The organization says these "predictable clusters" are down to the tour schedule layout and the switches in court surfaces.

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

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

In 2024, the tours brought in a new rule stopping matches starting after 11pm.

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

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

"You have to do media, recover, work with the physiotherapist. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"Your body, brain and nerves don't have chance to recover. No other major sport imposes such conditions."

Different tournaments playing with different balls - leading to changes in bounce and speed - has been cited as a source of increased upper body injuries.

"I have suffered numerous arm, shoulder, and wrist issues," commented 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 chronic wrist problem, believes tournaments in the same swing 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 incredibly useful to the players," he said.

The tours moved towards a more unified ball-approval process during 2025 and project "full alignment" in the coming years.

Learn from NFL & Protect Young Players

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

Using data-led analysis, the NFL demanded consistent playing surfaces and enhanced 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 allocating major funds – that model is the gold standard."

Other leagues have introduced rules aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their throws at the professional level and putting limits for young players.

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

"Training begins in childhood 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."

Competitors Seek Adjustments - What Are the Key Issues?

An growing group of players are speaking out about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a group of stars increasing demands on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as genuine dialogue about the calendar extent, extended events and scheduling.

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

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players occasionally sign up for lucrative exhibition events.

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

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