When Daria Kasatkina reduce her 2025 season brief in October, the previous world quantity eight described how she had “hit a wall”.
“The schedule is an excessive amount of. Mentally and emotionally I am at breaking level and, sadly, I am not alone,” she wrote.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had already introduced she was not in “the psychological area” to proceed, whereas reigning Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz imagine the calendar is simply too lengthy.
The subject continues to be debated because the world’s main tennis gamers reconvene in Australia for the beginning of the 2026 season.
A barely longer low season than 2025 has been welcomed. Nonetheless, a number of weeks isn’t seen as sufficient time for correct recuperation earlier than preparations start for an 11-month marketing campaign considered among the many most onerous in skilled sport.
“The calls for of tennis are more durable than ever earlier than,” Dr Robby Sikka, medical director on the Skilled Tennis Gamers’ Affiliation (PTPA) co-founded by Novak Djokovic, informed BBC Sport.
“Matches and rallies are longer, gamers are sooner, they’re hitting the ball more durable.
“We owe it to our gamers to guard them and provides them a extra sustainable sport.”
So what’s being executed and what additional steps could possibly be taken?
