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After Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season early in October, the former world number eight explained how she had "hit a wall."

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

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had already declared she was not in "the right headspace" to carry on, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also think the calendar is overly extended.

The topic continues to be debated as the world's top tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nevertheless, a few weeks is not regarded as enough time for thorough recuperation before preparations begin 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," stated 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.

"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 implemented?

Shortening the Season

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many men on tour, 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 concluded two weeks earlier when the tour finals 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 the WTA Tour says player welfare will "perpetually be the highest focus."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which began legal action 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 significant influence.

"We must consider whether we can create more 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 mini-break," added 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 are included in the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will lessen "overall demands" on the players.

"A factor frequently ignored: players select their own tournament plans," stated ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"Such autonomy is uncommon in elite athletics. But with that comes accountability - knowing when to push and when to recover."

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

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

Alongside mental burnout, there are worries about the increased physical demands.

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

The organization says these "anticipated spikes" are down to the structure of the calendar and the turnarounds between court surfaces.

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

When a notable match at the Australian Open concluded in the middle of the night in 2023, it promised to spark change.

In 2024, the tours brought in a new rule preventing matches beginning past 11pm.

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

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

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

"The physical and neurological systems lack adequate time to recuperate. There is no other sport which mandates that."

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.

"I've had a lot of injuries in my arm, my shoulder, my wrist," commented one top British player, "and I observe these types of injuries becoming more common."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an chronic wrist problem, believes tournaments in the same swing should use one uniform ball.

"This should be a straightforward solution - 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 expect "total consistency" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

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

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

"Their financial commitment matches their rhetoric by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the exemplar."

Other leagues have implemented policies aimed at protecting pitchers, limiting their workload at the professional level and putting guidelines for juniors.

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.

"Training begins in childhood and have so many repetitions 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 rising contingent of players are finding their voice 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 calendar extent, longer competitions and match timing.

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 occasionally sign up for lucrative non-tour contests.

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

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