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After Daria Kasatkina ended her 2025 season prematurely in October, the one-time elite competitor explained how she had "encountered a barrier."

"The schedule is too much. Mentally and emotionally I'm at breaking point, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she wrote.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had already revealed she was not in "the right headspace" to persist, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore believe the calendar is too long.

This subject remains under discussion as the world's foremost tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the start of the 2026 season.

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nonetheless, a handful of weeks is not regarded as adequate time for adequate rest before preparations begin for an eleven-month schedule seen as among the most onerous in professional sport.

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," commented Dr. Robby Sikka, medical director at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Matches and rallies are longer, players are faster, they're hitting the ball harder.

"We owe it to our players to protect them and give them a more viable sport."

So what is being done and what additional measures could be taken?

Shortening the Season

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many players on the ATP circuit, beginning with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and concluding with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The women's circuit concluded two weeks earlier when the tour finals finished in early November. The ITF moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to alleviate scheduling concerns.

The men's tour states it does not take the concerns of the players "without seriousness," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit against the men's and women's tours in March, pointing to "anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare."

Revamping the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be accomplished simply given the complex nature of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have major stakes.

"We need to think about whether we can create more time at the end of the year for an more substantial rest period, or can we allow for a pause during the season so there is a brief respite," noted Dr. Sikka.

Former world number one Andy Roddick, a vocal proponent of reform, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has cut the number of events which count towards the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will lessen "the cumulative strain" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players select their own tournament plans," remarked 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."

Extending several compulsory competitions across a fortnight - creating so-called 'super weeks' - has also been questioned.

"In my view, athletes are more psychologically drained and exhausted because they're away from home for extended periods," stated Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

As well as mental burnout, there are apprehensions about the increased physical demands.

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in particular times of the year, according to player association statistics.

The organization says these "foreseeable patterns" are down to the tour schedule layout and the switches in court surfaces.

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a memorable contest at the Australian Open finished in the wee hours in 2023, it was expected to drive reform.

In 2024, the tours introduced a new rule stopping matches beginning past 11pm.

But there have continued to be instances of matches finishing well past midnight - which medical experts insist.

"When you are done playing you just don't go home," explained 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. No other major sport imposes such conditions."

Different tournaments playing with different balls - leading to changes in feel and performance - has been identified as a source of increased upper body injuries.

"My career has been plagued by injuries to the arm and wrist," said one top British player, "and such ailments are increasingly prevalent among peers."

A former US Open champion, who stepped away last year with an persistent wrist issue, believes tournaments in the same seasonal segment should use one standard ball.

"It shouldn't be too difficult - the same ball for clay, the same for hard and the same for grass. That would be really helpful to the players," he said.

The tours moved towards a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and expect "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Learn from NFL & Protect Young Players

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to guide the welfare of its stars.

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

"American football has implemented numerous reforms driven by data," said an analytics expert whose firm provides data to monitor player welfare.

"Their commercial success has soared because their games are so competitive and they're maintaining a healthy roster.

"They're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and investing hugely – that model is the gold standard."

Other leagues have implemented policies aimed at protecting pitchers, limiting their workload at the professional level and putting guidelines for juniors.

Some retired players believe the stress put on the upper body of tennis players from a young age is a significant factor in their injuries later on.

"We pick up a racket as kids and have so many iterations 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 finding their voice about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a group of stars applying force on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as meaningful consultation about the tour schedule duration, longer competitions and scheduling.

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

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative non-tour contests.

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

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