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When Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the one-time elite competitor explained how she had "reached her limit."

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

The Ukrainian athlete Elina Svitolina, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had already revealed she was not in "the mental space" to carry on, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also believe the calendar is overly extended.

This subject is still being argued as the world's top tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the start of the 2026 season.

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

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," stated 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 owe it to our players to protect them and give them a more viable sport."

So what measures are in place and what additional measures could be implemented?

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season covered 47 weeks for many men on tour, beginning with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and ending with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The women's season ended two weeks earlier when the tour finals concluded in early November. The governing body 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 "lightly," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "always remain a top priority."

That failed to satisfy 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 achieved easily given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"We need to think about whether we can create more time at the end of the year for an extended off season, or can we allow for a pause during the season so there is a mini-break," added 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 reduced the number of events which count towards the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will lessen "overall demands" on the players.

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

"Such autonomy is uncommon in elite athletics. But with that comes responsibility - knowing when to push and when to recover."

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

"I believe competitors are more worn out mentally and physically because they're being on the road longer," 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 experience a higher rate of upper-body injuries in particular times of the year, according to PTPA research.

The organization says these "anticipated spikes" 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 concluded in the middle of the night in 2023, it promised to spark change.

In 2024, the tours introduced 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.

"When you are done playing you just don't go home," added Dr. Sikka.

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

"There is insufficient opportunity for the body and mind to heal. There is no other sport which mandates that."

A lack of standardization in tournament equipment - leading to changes in weight and pace - has been pointed to as a source of more frequent upper body injuries.

"My career has been plagued by injuries to the arm and wrist," said one top British player, "and I'm seeing more and more of these injuries across the tours."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an persistent wrist issue, argues tournaments in the same seasonal segment 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 incredibly useful to the players," he said.

The tours adopted a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and anticipate "complete uniformity" 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 inform the wellbeing of its stars.

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL required 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.

"We've seen the economic model is skyrocketing because their games are so competitive and they're maintaining a healthy roster.

"They are investing heavily in their stated goals by protecting athletes and devoting significant resources – that model is the exemplar."

Other leagues have introduced rules aimed at protecting throwers, 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 tender age is a key element in their injuries later on.

"Training begins in childhood and have so many countless swings 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."

Competitors Seek Adjustments - What Are the Key Issues?

An increasing number of players are speaking out about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a coalition of top players ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a increased portion of tournament income, as well as substantive discussions about the tour schedule duration, 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 new season.

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players also participate in lucrative showcase matches.

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

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