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After Daria Kasatkina cut short her 2025 season ahead of schedule in October, the one-time elite competitor described how she had "hit a wall."

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

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had earlier revealed she was not in "the right headspace" to persist, while reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz furthermore believe the calendar is overly extended.

This subject is still being argued as the world's top tennis players reconvene in Australia for the commencement of the 2026 season.

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nevertheless, a handful of weeks is not regarded as adequate time for proper recovery before preparations begin for an 11-month campaign considered among the most grueling 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 have a duty to safeguard our athletes and give them a more viable sport."

So what actions are being taken and what next actions could be taken?

Condensing the Tour Schedule

The 2025 season covered 47 weeks for many men on tour, commencing with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and concluding 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 International Tennis Federation moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to alleviate scheduling concerns.

ATP officials claim it does not take the concerns of the players "lightly," while the women's tour asserts player welfare will "perpetually be the highest focus."

That did not appease the PTPA, which commenced proceedings 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 accomplished simply given the complicated structure of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have major stakes.

"It is crucial to evaluate whether we can create more time at the end of the year for an longer break, or can we buy time 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 count towards the rankings for 2026, which it believes will lessen "overall demands" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players choose their own schedules," remarked ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

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

Prolonging several required events across a fortnight - creating so-called 'extended events' - has also been criticized.

"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.

As well as mental burnout, there are concerns about the increased physical demands.

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

The organization says these "foreseeable patterns" 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 middle of the night in 2023, it promised to spark change.

In 2024, the tours introduced a new rule stopping matches starting after 11pm.

But there have continued to be instances of matches concluding long after midnight - which medical experts insist.

"Once the final point is played, a player's duties continue," added Dr. Sikka.

"You have to do media, recover, work with the physiotherapist. Your day doesn't end at midnight.

"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 bounce and speed - 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," commented one top British player, "and I observe these types of injuries becoming more common."

A former US Open champion, who retired 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 really helpful to the players," he said.

The tours began using a more unified ball-approval process during 2025 and anticipate "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

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

Following data-led analysis, the NFL mandated 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 ensuring star athletes are available.

"They are investing heavily in their stated goals by protecting athletes and allocating major funds – that model is the exemplar."

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

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

"We pick up a racket as kids and have so many repetitions 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."

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 coalition of top players ramping up pressure on the Grand Slams with calls for a larger share of revenue, as well as substantive discussions about the length of the season, extended events and fixture planning.

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

Support is not always forthcoming, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative showcase matches.

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

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