Former British No. 1 Tim Henman has stepped into the ongoing debate about the ATP calendar, arguing that the current 12‑day format of the Masters 1000 events places an excessive burden on players. In his view, the elongated tournaments contribute to a surge in injuries and force athletes to spend too much time traveling, prompting a call for a more streamlined schedule.
Henman, who captured the Paris Masters title in 2003 and once reached a career‑high ranking of world No. 4, said the situation is "pretty well documented": the two‑week Masters events are simply too demanding.
He suggested trimming the duration to eight or nine days, a change he believes would free up the calendar and reduce the strain on the tour. "That's a product change," he added, "but if I had to propose a practical rule adjustment, I would eliminate the let serve.
Every other shot can clear the net and land in, so why keep a rule that interrupts the flow?" His comments come amid a spate of high‑profile withdrawals and extended absences that have plagued the 2026 season. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner announced he will miss the China Open because a lingering knee injury has kept him out since Wimbledon.
Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz missed both the French Open and Wimbledon due to a wrist problem, and Britain’s own Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also endured lengthy spells on the sidelines. Alcaraz, who only returned to competition at the US Open after a five‑month hiatus, echoed the sentiment that the tour’s density is unsustainable.
Speaking in New York, the Spaniard admitted his break was longer than he had anticipated and warned that future rest periods will need to be longer, even if they only span one or two months. "Given the packed schedule, I didn’t want to stop because of an injury, but I now see that skipping certain tournaments is necessary," he said. At the Laver Cup, where Team Europe emerged victorious, Alcaraz elaborated on the evolution of the sport. He noted changes in ball technology, court speed, and playing style, all of which demand more aggressive movement and extensive preparation.
"We need weeks to practice and to do the physical training," he explained. "There are more important tournaments, making us play more and more, so I really want to take breaks. If the ATP and Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi want us to keep playing a lot of big events, something has to change." Other players have voiced similar concerns. Italian youngster Flavio Cobolli reflected on the grueling travel schedule, pointing out that while the total number of matches may not be extraordinary, the length of stay at each event has increased dramatically.
"We’re used to playing that many matches, but staying at a tournament for so many days is new," he said. "I’ve been away from home for almost a month and a half and, even if I’d played every possible match, it would be fewer than ten." Veteran doubles specialist Jamie Murray also weighed in during an interview with Sky Sports Tennis.
He highlighted that the tour now demands a greater commitment of time away from home than ever before. "These younger guys have seen how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal extended their careers, and they want to play into their mid‑30s," Murray explained. "To do that, they’ll have to skip tournaments, and the tour needs to consider that reality.
The ATP is catering to over a hundred players who all want to compete, but the calendar has to be realistic." The broader issue revolves around the mandatory nature of eight of the nine Masters 1000 events for top‑ranked players, alongside four ATP 500 tournaments. The expansion of most Masters events to a 12‑day format has become a point of contention, with many arguing that the schedule leaves little room for recovery and contributes to the rising injury list.
Henman’s proposal to condense the Masters tournaments to eight or nine days would not only reduce travel time but also create more windows for rest and training. While his suggestion to scrap the let serve rule is more of a stylistic tweak, it underscores his desire for a smoother, less interrupted flow of play. In summary, the consensus among several leading figures in the sport is clear: the current calendar is overly demanding, and without meaningful adjustments, the cycle of injuries and player fatigue will likely continue.
Whether the ATP will act on these calls for reform remains to be seen, but the voices of Henman, Alcaraz, Cobolli, Murray, and others add significant weight to the argument for a more balanced and player‑friendly schedule.