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When Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season prematurely in October, the ex-top ten player described how she had "hit a wall."

"The itinerary is excessive. My mental and emotional state is frayed, and, regrettably, I'm not alone," she expressed.

The Ukrainian athlete Elina Svitolina, a former Wimbledon final four contender, had already revealed she was not in "the mental space" to carry on, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also think the calendar is too long.

This issue continues to be debated as the world's foremost tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the start of the 2026 season.

A slightly longer off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nonetheless, a few weeks is not regarded as enough time for thorough recovery before work commences for an season lasting nearly a year seen as among the most demanding in professional sport.

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," stated Dr. Robby Sikka, chief medical officer 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 actions are being taken and what next actions could be implemented?

Condensing the Tour Schedule

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many men on tour, 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 concluded in early November. The governing body 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 "casually," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "always remain a top priority."

That failed to satisfy the PTPA, which initiated a lawsuit against the men's and women's tours in March, pointing to "unfair practices and a clear neglect of athlete well-being."

Revamping the calendar is an obvious solution but cannot be accomplished simply given the complex nature 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 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 long-time advocate for change, says the season should not go past 1 November.

The ATP Tour has reduced the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it believes will lessen "the cumulative strain" on the players.

"One point that often gets overlooked: players choose their own schedules," stated ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

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

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

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're being on the road longer," 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 specific periods, according to available data.

The organization says these "foreseeable patterns" are down to the structure of the calendar and the transitions between court surfaces.

Fewer Late Nights & More Ball Consistency

When a high-profile game at the Australian Open ended in the wee hours in 2023, it seemed set to trigger adjustments.

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

But there have still been instances of matches ending deep into the night - which medical experts argue must not be glorified.

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

"Media interviews, rehabilitation, and treatment are required. Your day doesn't finish until much later.

"Your body, brain and nerves don't have chance to recover. No other major sport imposes such conditions."

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.

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

A former US Open champion, who ended his career last year with an persistent wrist issue, thinks tournaments in the same circuit should use one type of ball.

"It shouldn't be too difficult - the same ball for clay, the same for hard and the same for grass. That would be extremely beneficial to the players," he said.

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

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

Medical researchers believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to guide the health of its stars.

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

"The financial returns have increased dramatically because their games are so competitive and they're keeping players out on the field.

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

Other leagues have enacted regulations 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.

"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 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 genuine dialogue about the length of the season, extended events and scheduling.

Last year, a top-ten American player said it was "ridiculous" 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 relentless travel is a "test" but thinks top players "complaining about the calendar" is not a good look.

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