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

"The schedule is too much. My mental and emotional state is frayed, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she stated.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had already revealed she was not in "the mental space" to continue, while sitting Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore think the calendar is overly extended.

The topic remains under discussion as the world's leading tennis players reconvene in Australia for the start of the 2026 season.

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. Nonetheless, a few weeks is not regarded as enough time for thorough recuperation before work commences for an 11-month campaign regarded as among the most demanding in professional sport.

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

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

So what measures are in place and what next actions could be taken?

Shortening the Season

The 2025 season covered 47 weeks for many players on the ATP circuit, beginning with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and finishing with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The WTA Tour season ended two weeks earlier when the season-ending championships finished in early November. The ITF 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 "without seriousness," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "perpetually be the highest focus."

That did not appease the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "restrictive policies and an obvious indifference to player health."

Overhauling the calendar is an apparent fix but cannot be achieved easily given the complicated structure of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have major stakes.

"We must consider 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 short hiatus," said 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 believes will reduce "the total burden" on the players.

"A factor frequently ignored: players determine their own playing calendar," stated ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

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

Stretching several compulsory competitions across a fortnight - creating so-called 'mini Slams' - has also been questioned.

"I believe competitors are more worn out mentally and physically because they're away from home for extended periods," opined Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

Alongside mental burnout, there are worries about the growing physical demands.

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

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

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

When a memorable contest at the Australian Open ended in the early hours in 2023, it seemed set to trigger adjustments.

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

But there have persisted 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," explained Dr. Sikka.

"There are press obligations, recovery sessions, and physio appointments. Your day extends well beyond the match.

"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 feel and performance - has been cited as a source of increased upper body injuries.

"I've had a lot of injuries in my arm, my shoulder, my wrist," said one top British player, "and such ailments are increasingly prevalent among peers."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an persistent wrist issue, believes 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 incredibly useful to the players," he said.

The tours moved towards a more standardized equipment policy during 2025 and expect "full alignment" in the coming years.

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

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

Using data-led analysis, the NFL mandated consistent playing surfaces and advanced helmet technology to reduce the risk of injury.

"The league has altered its regulations using concrete research," said an analytics expert whose firm provides data to monitor player welfare.

"The financial returns have increased dramatically 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 allocating major funds – that model is the gold standard."

Other leagues have introduced rules 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 major contributor in their injuries later on.

"Training begins in childhood and have so many iterations of our groundstrokes," said the former champion.

"At some point it goes on the wrist. 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 collection of elite athletes increasing demands on the Grand Slams with calls for a increased portion of tournament income, as well as substantive discussions about the calendar extent, longer competitions and scheduling.

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

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players occasionally sign up for lucrative exhibition events.

One Grand Slam champion from Britain says the relentless travel is a "challenge" but thinks top players "complaining about the calendar" is not a good look.

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