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After Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight explained how she had "encountered a barrier."

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

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had earlier announced she was not in "the psychological condition" to carry on, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz additionally are convinced the calendar is excessively lengthy.

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

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. However, several weeks is not considered enough time for adequate rest before training starts for an season lasting nearly a year seen as among the most grueling in professional sport.

"The demands of tennis are harder than ever before," said 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 owe it to our players to protect them and give them a more sustainable sport."

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

Reducing the Calendar Length

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 WTA Tour season concluded two weeks earlier when the tour finals finished in early November. The governing body moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to address scheduling concerns.

The ATP Tour says it does not take the concerns of the players "without seriousness," 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, pointing to "anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare."

Overhauling the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be achieved easily 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 create space during the season so there is a short hiatus," noted 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 factor into the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will diminish "overall demands" on the players.

"One point that often gets overlooked: players determine their own playing calendar," remarked ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"This level of choice is unusual in pro sports. But with that comes obligation - knowing when to push and when to recover."

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

"I believe competitors are more worn out mentally and physically because they're being on the road longer," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are concerns about the increased physical demands.

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

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

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a notable match at the Australian Open finished in the wee hours in 2023, it promised to spark change.

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

But there have still been instances of matches ending deep into the night - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

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

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

"Your body, brain and nerves don't have chance to recover. There is no other sport which mandates that."

A lack of standardization in tournament equipment - leading to changes in bounce and speed - has been cited as a source of a rise in 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 stepped away last year with an persistent wrist issue, argues tournaments in the same seasonal segment should use one type of 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 standardized equipment policy during 2025 and project "full alignment" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Medical researchers believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to direct the health of its stars.

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL demanded 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.

"Their commercial success has soared 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 benchmark."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their throws at the professional level and putting age restrictions.

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

"Training begins in childhood 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."

Players 'Motivated' for Change - What Do They Want?

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

Current world number ones are among a coalition of top players ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as meaningful consultation about the calendar extent, longer competitions and scheduling.

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

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative exhibition events.

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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