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After Daria Kasatkina ended her 2025 season prematurely in October, the one-time elite competitor explained how she had "reached her limit."

"The schedule is too much. Psychologically and emotionally, I am drained, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she expressed.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had previously revealed she was not in "the right headspace" to carry on, while reigning 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 assemble once more in Australia for the beginning of the 2026 season.

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nevertheless, a handful of weeks is not seen as sufficient time for adequate recuperation before preparations begin for an eleven-month schedule seen as among the most demanding in professional sport.

"The physical requirements of tennis are more intense than in the past," said 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 have a duty to safeguard our athletes and give them a more sustainable sport."

So what is being done and what further steps could be taken?

Condensing the Tour Schedule

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

The WTA Tour season finished two weeks earlier when the tour finals finished 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 "lightly," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That did not placate the PTPA, which began legal action against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "unfair practices and a clear neglect of athlete well-being."

Revamping the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be achieved easily given the complex nature of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"We must consider whether we can reclaim 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," added 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 reduced the number of events which count towards the rankings for 2026, which it believes will lessen "the total burden" on the players.

"One point that often gets overlooked: players choose their own schedules," commented 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."

Prolonging several mandatory tournaments across a fortnight - creating so-called 'super weeks' - has also been faulted.

"In my view, athletes are more psychologically drained and exhausted because they're being on the road longer," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are apprehensions about the increased physical demands.

Players are more prone to upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to available data.

The organization says these "predictable clusters" 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 promised to spark change.

In 2024, the tours brought in a new rule stopping matches commencing later than 11pm.

But there have still been instances of matches finishing well past midnight - which medical experts argue must not be glorified.

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

"Media interviews, rehabilitation, and treatment are required. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

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

The use of varying balls at different events - leading to changes in weight and pace - has been cited as a source of more frequent upper body injuries.

"I've had a lot of injuries in my arm, my shoulder, my wrist," said one top British player, "and I observe these types of injuries becoming more common."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an chronic wrist problem, thinks 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 incredibly useful to the players," he said.

The tours moved towards a more standardized equipment policy during 2025 and anticipate "total consistency" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to direct the wellbeing of its stars.

Following data-led analysis, the NFL mandated consistent playing surfaces and enhanced 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 maintaining a healthy roster.

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

Other leagues have introduced rules aimed at protecting pitchers, limiting their workload 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 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 growing group of players are becoming vocal 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 bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as substantive discussions about the tour schedule duration, longer competitions and scheduling.

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

Sympathy can be in short supply, though, given top players occasionally sign up for 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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