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After Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the ex-top ten player described how she had "encountered a barrier."

"The calendar is overwhelming. Psychologically and emotionally, I am drained, and, sadly, I'm not alone," she expressed.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had already revealed she was not in "the right headspace" to continue, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also think the calendar is overly extended.

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

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nevertheless, several weeks is not considered sufficient time for thorough recovery before work commences for an 11-month campaign considered among the most grueling in professional sport.

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

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

"We have a duty to safeguard our athletes and give them a more manageable sport."

So what measures are in place and what further steps could be taken?

Shortening the Season

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

The women's circuit ended two weeks earlier when the tour finals finished in early November. The ITF 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 "lightly," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "perpetually be the highest focus."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which began legal action 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 clear answer but cannot be implemented readily given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"It is crucial to evaluate whether we can create more 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," noted 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 decreased the number of events which are included in the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will diminish "the total burden" on the players.

"One point that often gets overlooked: players select their own tournament plans," commented ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

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

Extending several required events across a fortnight - creating so-called 'mini Slams' - has also been faulted.

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're being on the road longer," stated Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

Alongside mental burnout, there are concerns about the increased physical demands.

Players experience a higher rate of upper-body injuries in certain months, according to PTPA research.

The organization says these "anticipated spikes" are down to the structure of the calendar and the turnarounds between court surfaces.

Fewer Late Nights & More Ball Consistency

When a notable match at the Australian Open finished in the early hours in 2023, it seemed set to trigger adjustments.

In 2024, the tours implemented a new rule preventing matches beginning past 11pm.

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

"After a match concludes, an athlete's day isn't over," added Dr. Sikka.

"There are press obligations, recovery sessions, and physio appointments. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"The physical and neurological systems lack adequate time to recuperate. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

A lack of standardization in tournament equipment - leading to changes in weight and pace - has been cited 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 I observe these types of injuries becoming more common."

A former US Open champion, who stepped away last year with an ongoing wrist injury, thinks tournaments in the same seasonal segment should use one uniform ball.

"Implementing this would not be overly complex - 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 standardized equipment policy during 2025 and anticipate "full alignment" in the coming years.

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must emulate how American team sports use data to guide the health of its stars.

Based on 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.

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

"Their financial commitment matches their rhetoric by protecting athletes and investing hugely – that model is the benchmark."

Other leagues have implemented policies aimed at protecting pitchers, 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 key element in their injuries later on.

"We start playing from such an early age 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."

Athletes Are Pushing for Reform - What Are Their Demands?

An growing group of players are becoming vocal about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a coalition of top players increasing demands on the Grand Slams with calls for a bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as substantive discussions about the calendar extent, extended events 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 occasionally sign up for lucrative non-tour contests.

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

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