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After Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season early in October, the former world number eight described how she had "hit a wall."

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

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had earlier declared she was not in "the psychological condition" to continue, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore believe the calendar is too long.

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

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been greeted positively. However, several weeks is not regarded as adequate time for proper rest before work commences for an season lasting nearly a year seen as among the most demanding in professional sport.

"The demands of tennis are harder than ever before," stated 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 viable sport."

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

Reducing the Calendar Length

The 2025 season spanned 47 weeks for many men on tour, starting 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 tour finals finished in early November. The International Tennis Federation 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 the WTA Tour says player welfare will "always remain a top priority."

That failed to satisfy 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."

Restructuring the calendar is an apparent fix 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 need to think about whether we can reclaim time at the end of the year for an extended off season, or can we allow for a pause during the season so there is a brief respite," 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 cut the number of events which are included in the rankings for 2026, which it believes will diminish "overall demands" on the players.

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

"That freedom is rare in professional sport. But with that comes responsibility - knowing when to push and when to recover."

Prolonging 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," stated Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

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

Players suffer more severe upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to player association statistics.

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

Minimizing Midnight Matches & Uniform Balls

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

In 2024, the tours introduced a new rule preventing matches starting after 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," said Dr. Sikka.

"There are press obligations, recovery sessions, and physio appointments. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"Your body, brain and nerves don't have chance to recover. There is no other sport which mandates that."

Different tournaments playing with different balls - leading to changes in bounce and speed - has been cited as a source of a rise in upper body injuries.

"I have suffered numerous arm, shoulder, and wrist issues," stated one top British player, "and I'm seeing more and more of these injuries across the tours."

A former US Open champion, who retired last year with an chronic wrist problem, argues tournaments in the same seasonal segment should use one uniform ball.

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

The tours moved towards a more unified ball-approval process during 2025 and project "full alignment" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must emulate how American team sports use data to inform the welfare of its stars.

Based on data-led analysis, the NFL required 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 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 benchmark."

Other leagues have enacted regulations aimed at protecting specific positions, limiting their throws at the professional level and putting guidelines for juniors.

Some retired players believe the load put on the upper body of tennis players from a young age is a significant factor in their injuries later on.

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

"Over time, the wrist suffers the consequences. 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 rising contingent of players are finding their voice about the demands placed on them.

Current world number ones are among a group of stars increasing demands on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as meaningful consultation about the length of the season, elongated tournaments 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.

Public understanding may be limited, 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 "moaning about the calendar" is not a good look.

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