The 2024 professional tennis season officially ended on December 22nd, when Joao Fonseca was crowned champion at the ATP Next Gen Finals in Saudi Arabia, defeating Learner Tien. However, the 2025 season began on December 27th with the United Cup in Australia. This tight schedule has sparked a debate about the length and intensity of the tennis calendar.
The 2024 US Open doubles champion, Jordan Thompson, described the situation as “a joke”, referring to the brevity of the break between seasons. The reality is that professional tennis players have very little time to rest, recover, and prepare for the next season.
The season is too much, mentally and emotionally I’m at a breaking point and, unfortunately, I’m not alone.
Daria Kasatkina
The length of the season and the global nature of the circuit have been a source of complaints among players for a long time, but they have intensified in recent years. Alex de Minaur attributed his early exit from the French Open to feeling “burnt out.” Iga Swiatek criticized the demands of the “super intense” calendar.
Several players, such as Frances Tiafoe, Danielle Collins, Jack Draper, and Daria Kasatkina, ended their seasons early this year, citing injuries and mental fatigue. Kasatkina, in a social media message, expressed her need for a break from the “monotonous daily rhythm of life on the circuit”.Taylor Fritz, who had an outstanding season in 2024, reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open and winning two ATP titles, also referred to the lack of rest time. Fritz pointed out that, due to his success, his season was extended, leaving him only about three weeks of rest before the 2025 campaign. “There is no off-season, and if you are a top player, you actually have even less off-season,” Fritz commented.
For many players, this brief period is crucial for implementing technical changes or changes to their coaching staff. For others, it’s the only time they have to be at home. Thompson, for example, highlights the importance of maintaining physical fitness during that limited time.Novak Djokovic, playing only the most important events this summer, has expressed his concern about the schedule. However, the demands of the circuit are clear: players must participate in a specific number of tournaments each year, which includes the Grand Slams and the Masters 1000 and 500 level events.
Players like Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, along with others in the top 10, lost points at the end of the 2024 season for not meeting participation requirements. Swiatek, who had been number 1, fell to number 2. Players who do not meet the criteria may face reductions in end-of-season bonus earnings.
Swiatek, after a match shortened by injury at the China Open, criticized the schedule, suggesting that she would have to “choose some tournaments and skip them, even if they are mandatory”.The WTA and others in the sport have pointed to extended 1000-level tournaments as part of the strategy to ensure equal prize money in tournaments with their male counterparts. Gauff, although not disagreeing with that argument, said it was “impossible” to meet all the requirements in a given year.
The situation of the best players was evident at the Shanghai Masters in October, where many complained about the heat and humidity, and others felt the weight of the long season. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament due to an ankle injury, Jannik Sinner abandoned his third-round match due to cramps, and Djokovic needed treatment for a back injury.The ATP announced that it will add another Masters 1000 level tournament to its calendar, possibly in 2028, in Saudi Arabia, which will raise the total to 10, with nine mandatory. The tennis season is extending and the question is whether there will be changes in the future.
The debate about the length of the season is not new. Brad Stine, coach of Tommy Paul, believes that organizations should eliminate the “mandatory” distinction in tournaments. Although Stine also believes that players should be less “paranoid” about losing ranking points and skip tournaments when they feel they need a break.
Alcaraz, one of the advocates for the need for a shorter season, played in the Six Kings Slam in October and is scheduled to participate in other exhibition events in December. Alcaraz explained that exhibitions are different from official tournaments, but that he understands the criticisms.Fritz believes his requests to shorten the season will not be heard. “I think they don’t listen to us,” he said. “I think we have me, Carlos and Sasha [Zverev], that is, three of the four best players in the world saying that it just needs to be shortened, and there has been no talk of any change.”
The WTA and ATP are aware of the players’ complaints. The WTA has said that the well-being of the athletes is a “top priority” and that the organization is in constant communication with the players. The ATP, for its part, seeks to “extend the off-season”, although it recognizes the complexity of the calendar.
Djokovic, a critic of the current situation, believes that the players are not united enough. “Players don’t participate enough when they should. So they make comments and complain, and then they leave… But you have to invest time, you have to invest energy to understand how the system works.”
