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After Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight described how she had "encountered a barrier."

"The calendar is overwhelming. My mental and emotional state is frayed, and, sadly, I'm not alone," she wrote.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had earlier announced she was not in "the psychological condition" to carry on, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore believe the calendar is excessively lengthy.

This issue remains under discussion as the world's top tennis players gather again in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. However, several weeks is not considered enough time for thorough recuperation before work commences for an 11-month campaign considered among the most demanding in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," 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 sustainable sport."

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

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many men on tour, 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 tour finals 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 "lightly," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "always remain a top priority."

That did not placate the PTPA, which commenced proceedings against the men's and women's tours in March, citing "restrictive policies and an obvious indifference to player health."

Revamping the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be implemented readily given the complex nature of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have significant influence.

"We need to think about whether we can reclaim time at the end of the year for an longer break, or can we allow for a pause during the season so there is a mini-break," said 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 cut the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it is confident will reduce "the total burden" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players choose their own schedules," remarked ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"This level of choice is unusual in pro sports. But with that comes obligation - knowing when to push and when to recover."

Extending several mandatory tournaments across a fortnight - creating so-called 'extended events' - has also been criticized.

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're spending more days away," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

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

Players suffer more severe upper-body injuries in certain months, according to available data.

The organization says these "anticipated spikes" 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 still been instances of matches ending deep into the night - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

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

"Media interviews, rehabilitation, and treatment are required. Your day extends well beyond the match.

"There is insufficient opportunity for the body and mind to heal. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

A lack of standardization in tournament equipment - leading to changes in bounce and speed - has been pointed to 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 persistent wrist issue, argues tournaments in the same circuit should use one standard 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 really helpful to the players," he said.

The tours moved towards a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and anticipate "full alignment" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Medical researchers believe tennis must take cues from how American team sports use data to direct the health of its stars.

Based on 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.

"We've seen the economic model is skyrocketing because their games are so competitive and they're ensuring star athletes are available.

"They're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and devoting significant resources – that model is the exemplar."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their exertion at the professional level and putting limits for young players.

Some retired players believe the stress put on the upper body of tennis players from a very early stage 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."

Athletes Are Pushing for Reform - What Are Their Demands?

An increasing number of players are finding their voice about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a group of stars ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as meaningful consultation about the calendar extent, extended events and match timing.

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

Sympathy can be in short supply, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative exhibition events.

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

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