De Minaur and Ruud Call for a Shorter Tennis Calendar
Tennis player Alex De Minaur, after his defeat at the French Open, has spoken out to request a reduction in the length of the tennis calendar, warning about the risk of physical and mental exhaustion faced by players.
The current season, which began in December with the United Cup, just 33 days after the Davis Cup Finals in Spain, has highlighted the demands of the circuit.
De Minaur, after his match against Alexander Bublik, pointed out that the lack of rest is a persistent problem. The tennis player has had minimal rest periods between the Davis Cup and the preseason, which leads him to compete without interruption until November.Nobody has a solution, but the solution is simple: the calendar must be shortened.
Alex De Minaur
The player argues that the current structure could shorten tennis players’ careers due to the mental and physical wear caused by the high demand for matches.
Casper Ruud, a finalist at the French Open on two occasions, also expressed his concern after his unexpected elimination. Ruud described the ATP ranking system as a “rat race”, where players are forced to participate in mandatory events, even with injuries.
Ruud, who lost to Nuno Borges, revealed that he has been dealing with knee problems. The Norwegian tennis player highlighted that the schedule makes it difficult to take time to fully recover from injuries, as players could lose ranking positions if they are absent from mandatory tournaments.
You feel obligated to play by certain rules that the ATP has established with the mandatory events. You feel like you lose a lot if you don’t show up and play.
Casper Ruud
Ruud added that tennis players suffer a 25% reduction in their year-end bonuses if they do not participate in a mandatory event.
