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After Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight described how she had "hit a wall."

"The itinerary is excessive. Psychologically and emotionally, I am drained, and, sadly, I'm not alone," she stated.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had earlier announced she was not in "the psychological condition" to carry on, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore are convinced the calendar is too long.

This issue is still being argued as the world's top tennis players gather again in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nonetheless, a few weeks is not seen as enough time for thorough rest before training starts for an eleven-month schedule considered among the most demanding in professional sport.

"The demands of tennis are harder than ever before," stated 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.

"It is our obligation to shield the competitors and give them a more viable sport."

So what actions are being taken and what next actions could be enacted?

Condensing the Tour Schedule

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

The WTA Tour season ended two weeks earlier when the tour finals wrapped up in early November. The International Tennis Federation moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to help combat scheduling concerns.

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

That did not placate the PTPA, which commenced proceedings against the men's and women's tours in March, citing "anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare."

Overhauling the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be accomplished simply 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 buy back time at the end of the year for an extended off season, or can we buy time during the season so there is a brief respite," said Dr. Sikka.

Former world number one Andy Roddick, a consistent campaigner for adjustments, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has decreased the number of events which are included in the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will reduce "the cumulative strain" on the players.

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

"That freedom is rare in professional sport. But with that comes responsibility - understanding when to compete and when to rest."

Prolonging several required events across a fortnight - creating so-called 'super weeks' - has also been criticized.

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're away from home for extended periods," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are concerns about the growing physical demands.

Players experience a higher rate of upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to player association statistics.

The organization says these "predictable clusters" are down to the structure of the calendar and the switches in court surfaces.

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

When a notable match at the Australian Open finished in the middle of the night in 2023, it was expected to drive reform.

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

But there have persisted instances of matches ending deep into the night - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

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

"You have to do media, recover, work with the physiotherapist. Your day extends well beyond the match.

"Your body, brain and nerves don't have chance to recover. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

Different tournaments playing with different balls - leading to changes in bounce and speed - 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 retired last year with an chronic wrist problem, believes tournaments in the same swing should use one uniform ball.

"This should be a straightforward solution - 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 adopted a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and expect "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

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

Using data-led analysis, the NFL demanded 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.

"The financial returns have increased dramatically because their games are so competitive and they're keeping players out on the field.

"They are investing heavily in their stated goals by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the exemplar."

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

Some retired players believe the strain put on the upper body of tennis players from a young age is a major contributor in their injuries later on.

"We pick up a racket as kids and have so many iterations of our groundstrokes," said the former champion.

"Eventually, the wrist bears the brunt. 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 collection of elite athletes increasing demands on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as genuine dialogue about the calendar extent, elongated tournaments 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 new season.

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players also participate in lucrative showcase matches.

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

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