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When Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season prematurely in October, the ex-top ten player detailed how she had "encountered a barrier."

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

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had previously declared she was not in "the mental space" to continue, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also are convinced the calendar is too long.

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

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nevertheless, several weeks is not considered enough time for proper recovery before training starts for an season lasting nearly a year seen as 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 manageable sport."

So what actions are being taken and what additional measures could be enacted?

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many players on the ATP circuit, beginning 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 wrapped up 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 "casually," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That did not placate the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit against the men's and women's tours in March, referencing "anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare."

Overhauling the calendar is an apparent fix but cannot be implemented readily given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have significant influence.

"It is crucial to evaluate whether we can create more time at the end of the year for an longer break, or can we create space 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 decreased the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it believes will reduce "the cumulative strain" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players determine their own playing calendar," remarked ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

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

Extending several compulsory competitions across a fortnight - creating so-called 'super weeks' - has also been criticized.

"I believe competitors are more worn out mentally and physically because they're being on the road longer," stated Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

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

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

The organization says these "foreseeable patterns" are down to the tour schedule layout and the switches in court surfaces.

Fewer Late Nights & More Ball Consistency

When a high-profile game at the Australian Open ended in the middle of the night in 2023, it was expected to drive reform.

In 2024, the tours introduced a new rule stopping matches beginning past 11pm.

But there have continued to be instances of matches ending deep into the night - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

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

"You have to do media, recover, work with the physiotherapist. Your day doesn't finish until much later.

"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 identified as a source of a rise in upper body injuries.

"My career has been plagued by injuries to the arm and wrist," stated one top British player, "and such ailments are increasingly prevalent among peers."

A former US Open champion, who stepped away last year with an persistent wrist issue, believes tournaments in the same swing 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 unified ball-approval process during 2025 and project "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

Sports scientists believe tennis must take cues from how American team sports use data to direct the wellbeing of its stars.

Using data-led analysis, the NFL demanded consistent playing surfaces and improved helmet technology to minimize 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.

"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 gold standard."

Other leagues have implemented policies 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 key element in their injuries later on.

"We start playing from such an early age and have so many repetitions 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."

Players 'Motivated' for Change - What Do They Want?

An increasing number 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 meaningful consultation about the length of the season, longer competitions and match timing.

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

Sympathy can be in short supply, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative non-tour contests.

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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