Professional Tennis on the Tightrope: Too Many Tournaments?
The 2024 professional tennis season officially ended on December 22nd with Joao Fonseca’s victory over Learner Tien at the ATP Next Gen Finals in Saudi Arabia. However, the 2025 season was already underway on December 27th with the United Cup in Australia. This rapid transition has sparked a debate about the length and intensity of the tennis calendar.
The complaint about the length of the season and the global nature of the circuit is common among players, but it has intensified in recent years. Players like Alex de Minaur and Iga Swiatek have expressed their exhaustion and criticized the demands of the calendar.
The truth is that I’ve hit a wall and can’t go on. I need a break. A break from the monotonous daily routine of life on the circuit, the suitcases, the results, the pressure, the same faces (sorry, girls), everything that this life entails.
Daria Kasatkina
Several players, including Frances Tiafoe, Danielle Collins, Jack Draper, and Daria Kasatkina, ended their seasons early this year due to injuries and mental fatigue.“I’ve hit a wall and can’t go on. I need a break,” Daria Kasatkina wrote in a social media post in October.Taylor Fritz, who had a standout season in 2024, including reaching the US Open final and winning two ATP titles, also faced a relentless schedule. The lack of rest and preparation time between seasons is a constant concern.
Fritz, like other tennis players, is forced to train during his short “pre-season”, which limits his rest and recovery time. The need to implement technical or coaching staff changes during this period adds more pressure.Novak Djokovic won the Hellenic ATP 250 Championship on Saturday, but played little this year and chose not to participate in the ATP Finals this week citing an ongoing shoulder injury.The situation of Djokovic, who prioritized the most important events and time with his family, is an exception. The demands of the circuit force players to participate in a specific number of tournaments, which limits their ability to choose their schedule.
Players like Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, among others, lost points at the end of the 2024 season for not meeting the participation requirements. The pressure to compete in the mandatory tournaments, combined with physical and mental fatigue, generates considerable stress.
Swiatek, after retiring in a match at the China Open, criticized the schedule and suggested that she might have to skip mandatory tournaments in the future.Iga Swiatek played in 80 matches this season, the most on the circuit.Tennis authorities, including the WTA, have justified the extension of 1000-level tournaments as a measure to equalize prize money. However, players like Coco Gauff have expressed that it is “impossible” to meet all the calendar requirements.
The situation worsened at the Shanghai Masters, where several players suffered physical problems due to the heat and humidity. Alcaraz withdrew due to injury, Sinner retired due to cramps, and Djokovic needed treatment for a back problem.Jessica Pegula has said she doesn’t like the US Open’s change to a 15-day tournament this year.The announcement of the incorporation of a new Masters 1000 tournament in Saudi Arabia starting in 2028, which will raise the total number to 10, raises more questions about the saturation of the calendar. The expansion of Grand Slam tournaments and the increase in the duration of some events have added more pressure on the players.
Brad Stine, Tommy Paul’s coach, suggests that players should be less “paranoid” about losing points and take breaks when needed. However, he also criticizes players who participate in lucrative exhibitions during the off-season, which, according to him, contradicts their complaints about the length of the calendar.
Alcaraz, one of those who has most advocated for a shorter season, justifies his participation in exhibitions as less demanding events than official tournaments.
Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz shared the important titles in 2025. Alcaraz has been especially explicit about the need for a shorter season.
The need for change is evident to most players. Fritz, for example, believes that the situation is unsustainable and that the voices of the tennis players are not being heard.
While an ideal solution could be to end the season after the US Open, this would leave numerous tournaments without a schedule. The WTA and ATP are aware of the players’ complaints and concerns, and the WTA has expressed its commitment to the athletes’ well-being. The ATP, for its part, seeks to extend the off-season, but recognizes the complexity of the situation.
Djokovic, a constant critic of the calendar, points out that players must get more involved to achieve significant changes. According to him, the lack of unity and participation from the players makes it difficult to solve the problems.
