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When Daria Kasatkina concluded her 2025 season prematurely in October, the former world number eight described how she had "reached her limit."

"The calendar is overwhelming. Psychologically and emotionally, I am drained, and, unfortunately, I'm not alone," she wrote.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a double Wimbledon semi-final participant, had earlier declared she was not in "the mental space" to persist, while current Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz also are convinced the calendar is overly extended.

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

A somewhat extended off-season than 2025 has been received well. Nonetheless, a few weeks is not regarded as enough time for proper recuperation before work commences for an season lasting nearly a year regarded as among the most demanding in professional sport.

"Tennis places greater strain on athletes now than it ever has," said Dr. Robby Sikka, head of medicine at the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA).

"Points and games are more extended, players are faster, they're hitting the ball harder.

"It is our obligation to shield the competitors and give them a more sustainable sport."

So what is being done and what next actions could be implemented?

Shortening the Season

The 2025 season covered 47 weeks for many men on tour, beginning with the United Cup team event in late December 2024 and concluding with the Davis Cup final in late November.

The women's circuit concluded two weeks earlier when the WTA Finals concluded in early November. The ITF moved the Billie Jean King Cup Finals forward to September to address scheduling concerns.

ATP officials claim it does not take the concerns of the players "casually," while the WTA Tour says player welfare will "consistently be the foremost concern."

That did not placate 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 achieved easily given the complicated structure of tennis governance, where the four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF each have controlling interests.

"We must consider whether we can create more 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 brief respite," added 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 cut the number of events which factor into the rankings for 2026, which it thinks will diminish "overall demands" on the players.

"An aspect commonly missed: players select their own tournament plans," 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."

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

"In my view, athletes are more psychologically drained and exhausted because they're being on the road longer," said Britain's former men's world number one, Andy Murray.

In addition to mental burnout, there are worries about the growing physical demands.

Players suffer more severe upper-body injuries in specific periods, according to PTPA research.

The organization says these "predictable clusters" are down to the structure of the calendar and the switches in 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 was expected to drive reform.

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

But there have persisted instances of matches finishing well past midnight - which medical experts cannot be allowed to be "romanticised".

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

"There are press obligations, recovery sessions, and physio appointments. Your day doesn't finish until much later.

"The physical and neurological systems lack adequate time to recuperate. This is a unique demand in the sporting world."

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

"I have suffered numerous arm, shoulder, and wrist issues," stated one top British player, "and I observe these types of injuries becoming more common."

A former US Open champion, who ended his career last year with an chronic wrist problem, 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 incredibly useful to the players," he said.

The tours moved towards a more unified ball-approval process during 2025 and expect "complete uniformity" in the coming years.

Take Lessons from the NFL & Shield Developing Athletes

Athletic performance experts believe tennis must learn from how American team sports use data to guide the wellbeing of its stars.

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

"We've seen the economic model is skyrocketing 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 investing hugely – that model is the benchmark."

Other leagues have introduced rules aimed at protecting throwers, limiting their workload at the professional level and putting guidelines for juniors.

Some retired players believe the strain 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 iterations 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."

Competitors Seek Adjustments - What Are the Key Issues?

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 bigger piece of the financial pie, as well as substantive discussions about the length of the season, longer competitions and fixture planning.

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

Public understanding may be limited, though, given top players sometimes commit to lucrative exhibition events.

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

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