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When Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the one-time elite competitor detailed how she had "reached her limit."

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

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had already announced she was not in "the mental space" to carry on, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore think the calendar is excessively lengthy.

This issue remains under discussion as the world's leading tennis players assemble once more in Australia for the start of the 2026 season.

A marginally increased off-season than 2025 has been welcomed. However, a handful of weeks is not seen as sufficient time for proper 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," 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 owe it to our players to protect them and give them a more viable sport."

So what measures are in place and what further steps could be implemented?

Reducing the Calendar Length

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

The women's season concluded 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 "casually," while WTA leadership notes player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That did not appease the PTPA, which began legal action against the men's and women's tours in March, pointing to "restrictive policies and an obvious indifference to player health."

Revamping the calendar is an clear answer but cannot be accomplished simply given the intricate web of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have significant influence.

"We need to think about whether we can buy back 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 decreased the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it believes will reduce "the total burden" on the players.

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

"That freedom is rare in professional sport. But with that comes obligation - understanding when to compete and when to rest."

Extending several compulsory competitions across a fortnight - creating so-called 'extended events' - has also been faulted.

"I think players are more mentally tired and more fatigued because they're away from home for extended periods," opined Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

As well as mental burnout, there are concerns about the increased 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 seasonal itinerary and the turnarounds between court surfaces.

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

When a notable match at the Australian Open ended in the middle of the night 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 insist.

"Once the final point is played, a player's duties continue," explained 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. No other major sport imposes such conditions."

Different tournaments playing with different balls - leading to changes in weight and pace - has been cited as a source of increased upper body injuries.

"I have suffered numerous arm, shoulder, and wrist issues," 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 ongoing wrist injury, believes tournaments in the same circuit should use one standard 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 adopted a more centralized ball-selection system during 2025 and expect "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Emulate American Sports & Safeguard Juniors

Sports scientists believe tennis must emulate how American team sports use data to guide the wellbeing of its stars.

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL mandated consistent playing surfaces and advanced helmet technology to lessen 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're putting their money where their mouth is by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the gold standard."

Other leagues have introduced rules aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their workload at the professional level and putting age restrictions.

Some retired players believe the strain put on the upper body of tennis players from a very early stage is a significant factor in their injuries later on.

"We start playing from such an early age and have so many countless swings 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 increasing number of players are speaking out 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 larger share of revenue, as well as meaningful consultation about the calendar extent, extended events and scheduling.

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

Sympathy can be in short supply, though, given top players also participate in lucrative exhibition events.

One Grand Slam champion from Britain says the daily routine is a "challenge" but thinks top players "moaning about the calendar" is not a good look.

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