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When Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season prematurely in October, the one-time elite competitor described how she had "hit a wall."

"The calendar is overwhelming. My mental and emotional state is frayed, and, sadly, I'm not alone," she wrote.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had already declared she was not in "the mental space" to continue, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz additionally are convinced the calendar is overly extended.

This subject is still being argued as the world's foremost tennis players reconvene in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. Nonetheless, a few weeks is not regarded as adequate time for proper recuperation before preparations begin for an 11-month campaign seen as among the most onerous in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," said Dr. Robby Sikka, head of medicine at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"The duration of play has increased, 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 is being done and what additional measures could be implemented?

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many male competitors, beginning with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and finishing with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The WTA Tour season finished two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships concluded in early November. The International Tennis Federation moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to address scheduling concerns.

The ATP Tour says it does not take the concerns of the players "without seriousness," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "perpetually be the highest focus."

That did not appease the PTPA, which commenced proceedings against the men's and women's tours in March, pointing to "unfair practices and a clear neglect of athlete well-being."

Restructuring the calendar is an obvious solution but cannot be achieved easily given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have major stakes.

"We need to think about whether we can reclaim time at the end of the year for an extended off season, or can we create space during the season so there is a short hiatus," said Dr. Sikka.

Former world number one Andy Roddick, a long-time advocate for change, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has reduced the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will lessen "the cumulative strain" on the players.

"One point that often gets overlooked: players choose their own schedules," stated ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"Such autonomy is uncommon in elite athletics. But with that comes accountability - recognizing the right time to play and the right time to heal."

Prolonging several mandatory tournaments across a fortnight - creating so-called 'super weeks' - has also been faulted.

"In my view, athletes are more psychologically drained and exhausted because they're being on the road longer," stated Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are worries about the rising 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 tour schedule layout and the transitions between court surfaces.

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a notable match at the Australian Open concluded in the early hours in 2023, it was expected to drive reform.

In 2024, the tours introduced a new rule stopping matches commencing later than 11pm.

But there have still been instances of matches concluding long after midnight - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

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

"Media interviews, rehabilitation, and treatment are required. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"Your body, brain and nerves don't have chance to recover. There is no other sport which mandates that."

A lack of standardization in tournament equipment - leading to changes in bounce and speed - has been pointed to as a source of a rise in upper body injuries.

"I have suffered numerous arm, shoulder, and wrist issues," stated one top British player, "and I observe these types of injuries becoming more common."

A former US Open champion, who ended his career last year with an ongoing wrist injury, argues tournaments in the same swing should use one type of ball.

"This should be a straightforward solution - the same ball for clay, the same for hard and the same for grass. That would be extremely beneficial to the players," he said.

The tours adopted a more unified ball-approval process during 2025 and anticipate "full alignment" in the coming years.

Learn from NFL & Protect Young Players

Sports scientists believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to guide the health of its stars.

Following data-led analysis, the NFL demanded consistent playing surfaces and advanced helmet technology to minimize the risk of injury.

"The NFL has made many rule changes based on empirical evidence," said an analytics expert whose firm provides data to monitor player welfare.

"The financial returns have increased dramatically because their games are so competitive and they're ensuring star athletes are available.

"They're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the benchmark."

Other leagues have implemented policies aimed at protecting throwers, limiting their throws at the professional level and putting age restrictions.

Some retired players believe the load put on the upper body of tennis players from a young age is a key element in their injuries later on.

"Training begins in childhood and have so many repetitions of our groundstrokes," said the former champion.

"Over time, the wrist suffers the consequences. Way more players have problems with the wrist. I think the problem is the many, many repetitions."

Players 'Motivated' for Change - What Do They Want?

An rising contingent of players are becoming vocal about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a group of stars ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as substantive discussions about the length of the season, longer competitions and fixture planning.

Last year, a top-ten American player said it was "unreasonable" he was only able to take one week off before the next campaign.

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players also participate in lucrative non-tour contests.

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

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