Tennis: Exhausting Calendar? Stars Demand Season Changes

The Tennis Season: Too Long?

The 2024 professional tennis season officially ended on December 22nd, when Joao Fonseca was crowned champion of the ATP Next Gen Finals in Saudi Arabia, after defeating Learner Tien. The 2025 season kicked off on December 27th with the United Cup in Australia. Both Fonseca and Tien returned to the courts on December 30th for tournaments in Australia and Hong Kong, respectively.

“I don’t know how the ’25 season starts in ’24,” commented Jordan Thompson, 2024 US Open doubles champion.

Jordan Thompson

The short rest time between events raises serious questions about the players’ well-being. The short break between the Billie Jean King Cup, the Davis Cup and the United Cup, added to the WTA Finals and ATP Finals in mid-November, highlights the demands of the calendar. The extension of the season and the constant activity on the global circuit have been the cause of complaints among tennis players, intensifying in recent years. Alex de Minaur attributed his early elimination at Roland Garros to feeling “exhausted.” Iga Swiatek criticized the demands of the “super intense” calendar. At the China Open, several matches ended in retirements. Frances Tiafoe, Danielle Collins, Jack Draper, and Daria Kasatkina, among others, ended their seasons early, citing injuries and mental fatigue.

“The truth is that I have reached a limit and I can’t continue. 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,” Kasatkina expressed on social media.

Daria Kasatkina

As the 2025 season comes to an end and players focus on 2026, the debate about the duration and intensity of the tennis season will continue. The big question is: Will there be changes?

Description: “I’ve reached a limit and can’t continue. I need a break,” Daria Kasatkina wrote in a social media post in October. Taylor Fritz, who had an outstanding season in 2024, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open, as well as winning two ATP titles and an Olympic bronze medal in doubles, had little time to celebrate. His success extended his season, including him in the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup. Fritz explained that he barely had three weeks between the end of his 2024 season and the start of the 2025 season, time he must dedicate to training, leaving only one week for rest.

“There is no preseason, and if you’re a top player, you actually have even less free time,” Fritz commented.

Taylor Fritz

For many players, this short period is crucial for implementing technical changes or changes to their training team, but it is questioned whether it is more important than rest and recovery. The former world number 1, Novak Djokovic, only played the main events this summer, prioritizing winning his 25th Grand Slam title and spending time with his family. However, Djokovic is in a privileged position, not worrying about his ranking or finances.

Description: Novak Djokovic won the Hellenic ATP 250 Championship on Saturday, but played little this year and chose not to participate in this week’s ATP Finals due to a shoulder injury. The tours require players to participate in a certain number of tournaments each year. ATP players must play in the four Grand Slams, eight Masters 1000 events, and five 500-level tournaments, while WTA players must participate in the Grand Slams, 10 1000-level tournaments, and six 500-level tournaments. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the loss of ranking points. Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, among others, lost points at the end of the 2024 season for not participating in the required number of tournaments. Swiatek, after a match shortened by injury at the China Open, blamed the calendar, stating that she will have to “choose some tournaments and skip them, even if they are mandatory”.

“The WTA, with all these mandatory rules, has made it quite difficult for us,” Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek

Description: Iga Swiatek played 80 matches this season, leading the circuit. The WTA and others in the sport have repeatedly pointed to the expansion of 1000-level tournaments as part of the strategy to ensure equal prize money with their male counterparts. Gauff agreed with the argument, but stated that it was “impossible” to meet all the requirements in a given year.

The Shanghai Masters in October highlighted the state of the elite players, with complaints about the heat and humidity, as well as the accumulated fatigue from the long season. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament due to an injury, while Jannik Sinner retired from his third-round match due to cramps. Djokovic needed treatment for a back injury.

Description: Jessica Pegula has said that she doesn’t like the US Open’s change to a 15-day tournament this year. The ATP announced that it will add another Masters 1000 tournament to its calendar starting in 2028 in Saudi Arabia, which will raise the total number to 10, nine of them mandatory. The French Open, the Australian Open and the US Open have added an additional day of play to their main draws in recent years.

“I’m not a big fan,” said Jessica Pegula.

Jessica Pegula

Brad Stine, coach of Tommy Paul, believes that the ATP and WTA should eliminate the “mandatory” distinction in tournaments and guarantee one or two weeks of rest after each Grand Slam. Stine also believes that players should be less “paranoid” about losing ranking points and skipping tournaments when they need a break. Alcaraz, one of the advocates for a shorter season, played in the lucrative Six Kings Slam in October and plans to participate in other exhibition events in December.

“It’s a different format, a different situation playing exhibitions than official tournaments, 15, 16 days in a row, having so much concentration and demanding physically,” said Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz

Description: Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz shared the important titles in 2025. Alcaraz has been especially vocal about the need for a shorter season. Fritz, when asked what should be changed, replied: “It simply needs to be shortened. It’s too much.” The WTA and ATP are aware of the players’ complaints. The WTA stated that the well-being of the athletes is a “top priority” and that the organization is in constant communication with the players. The WTA also added that it is “committed to keeping the tournament structure under review”. The ATP, for its part, referred to an August interview with President Andrea Gaudenzi, who described the calendar as “complex”, but stated that an ATP goal was to “extend the off-season”. Gaudenzi highlighted the individuality of tennis, which makes it difficult to find solutions that satisfy all players. Djokovic, critical of the current calendar, acknowledged that the issue is “very complex.” He urged players to get more involved in the system to achieve significant changes.