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At the point when Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight explained how she had "reached her limit."

"The calendar is overwhelming. Mentally and emotionally I'm at breaking point, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she expressed.

The Ukrainian athlete Elina Svitolina, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had already announced she was not in "the right headspace" to continue, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also are convinced the calendar is excessively lengthy.

This subject is still being argued as the world's leading tennis players gather again in Australia for the beginning of the 2026 season.

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. However, a few weeks is not regarded as enough time for adequate rest before preparations begin for an eleven-month schedule seen as among the most onerous in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," commented Dr. Robby Sikka, chief medical officer at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Points and games are more extended, players are faster, they're hitting the ball harder.

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

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

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many male competitors, 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 finished two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships concluded in early November. The governing body moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to address scheduling concerns.

The men's tour states 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 failed to satisfy the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "unfair practices and a clear neglect of athlete well-being."

Overhauling the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be implemented readily given the complicated structure 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 mini-break," 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 believes will diminish "the total burden" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players determine their own playing calendar," remarked ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

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

Stretching several required events across a fortnight - creating so-called 'extended events' - has also been questioned.

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

As well as mental burnout, there are concerns about the rising physical demands.

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in certain months, according to available data.

The organization says these "anticipated spikes" are down to the seasonal itinerary and the switches in court surfaces.

Reducing Late Finishes & Standardizing Equipment

When a memorable contest 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 beginning past 11pm.

But there have still been instances of matches concluding long after midnight - which medical experts argue must not be glorified.

"Once the final point is played, a player's duties continue," added 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. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

The use of varying balls at different events - leading to changes in bounce and speed - has been cited as a source of more frequent 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 stepped away last year with an ongoing wrist injury, believes tournaments in the same circuit 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 incredibly useful to the players," he said.

The tours began using a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and expect "total consistency" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Medical researchers believe tennis must emulate how American team sports use data to direct the wellbeing of its stars.

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL required 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.

"We've seen the economic model is skyrocketing because their games are so competitive and they're keeping players out on the field.

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

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

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

"We start playing from such an early age 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."

Athletes Are Pushing for Reform - What Are Their Demands?

An increasing number of players are becoming vocal about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a coalition of top players applying force on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as substantive discussions about the tour schedule duration, elongated tournaments and scheduling.

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

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players occasionally sign up for lucrative showcase matches.

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

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