Tennis cannot afford a calendar like the current one

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 31 Aug 2024 | 15.23

Tennis players' complaints about the schedule. Photo: gettyimages

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Travel, training, competition routines, advertising commitments, press conferences... There are many things that surround a tennis tournament and that condition the lives of nomadic athletes, who feel unprotected against a calendar that prioritizes the economic interests of tennis institutions over their own health. Many voices have already spoken out in protest against this.

Enough is enough. Tennis is one of the most followed sports worldwide and it cannot continue like this. For something to be successful, the main thing is to take care of the main protagonists, and that is something that is not being done at the moment. The changes in the ATP and WTA calendars are worsening an issue that has been latent for years, generating competitive stress in all players, such as the impossibility of resting.

- Zverev, Ruud, and Swiatek have openly complained about the crowded calendar

The extension of the duration of most Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments allows for a day of rest between matches but only serves to prolong the stay in a competition for those who progress far. Many people consider playing about 80 matches a year, in 365 days, not too much, but everything behind that can be overlooked. Being in a tournament requires a series of routines and commitments for the players that cannot be sustained for such a long time.

I certainly can understand @iga_swiatek concern about playing too many tournaments, especially when you go deep in tournaments every week. Adding in the @Olympics and much more depth in the game, it’s an important topic…. https://t.co/vdPnmy2tbq
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) August 18, 2024

There is no time to rest, no time to train, no time to prepare physically, and recover from discomfort. All this in an increasingly fast and powerful sport, where the physical demands are enormous. As a result, the show suffers, and ups and downs are inevitable, even among the best. Swiatek raised her voice a few days ago demanding a calendar redesign, Zverev highlighted that he had fallen ill from pushing his body beyond its limits in the sport, and others, like Ruud, choose to take breaks, such as the grass season, due to the lack of free spaces during the season to rest.

- The requirement to participate in a series of tournaments can lead to competing for 32 weeks a year

Four Grand Slams, 8 Masters 1000, four ATP 500 tournaments, and one or two ATP 250 tournaments. That's what most ATP circuit players are required to compete in, besides the ATP Finals if they qualify, possible Davis Cup call-ups, and events like the Laver Cup. The WTA circuit faces the same situation.

The obligation to play in six WTA 500 tournaments has significantly increased the competition weeks for the top players, potentially spending 32 out of a year's 52 weeks in tournaments. The situation was different five years ago, with 15 mandatory tournaments and a maximum of 19 competition weeks.

Mandatory tournaments for a top player

2019:
4 Slams
4 1000s (PM)
4 1000s (P5)
2 500s (Premier)
WTAF
Total tournaments: 15, 19 weeks if reach all finals

2025:
4 Slams
10 1000s (x7 2 weeks, x3 1 week)
6 500s
WTAF
Total tournaments: 21, 32 weeks if all finals

This is INSANE. pic.twitter.com/6kbfUzNEmi
— moonball enthusiast #6inToronto (@ninjaga20) August 18, 2024

The show will end up suffering, the players' discomfort will eventually lead to serious protests, and all this only adds more fuel to a central problem in the tennis world, the lack of importance given to the players in the business that this sport represents. We cannot demand anyone to spend the whole year competing regularly. The time has come to take measures to preserve the physical and mental health of the players, who are the foundation of all this.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El tenis no puede permitirse un calendario como el actual