Former British No. 1 Tim Henman has stepped into the spotlight once again, this time demanding a reshuffle of the professional tennis calendar.
He argues that the current format of the Masters 1000 tournaments, which now stretch across twelve days, imposes an unsustainable workload on the sport’s elite. Henman’s comments come amid a wave of injury reports and extended absences that have plagued several top players throughout the 2026 season. The issue was highlighted by World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who announced that he will miss his scheduled return at the China Open because a lingering knee injury has kept him sidelined since Wimbledon.
Similarly, Spain’s rising star Carlos Alcaraz was forced to skip both the French Open and Wimbledon due to a wrist problem, while Britain’s own Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also endured lengthy spells away from competition. These high‑profile setbacks have intensified the debate over whether the tour’s demanding schedule is contributing to player burnout and injury.
Eight of the nine Masters 1000 events are mandatory for the top‑ranked athletes, and they sit alongside four required ATP 500 tournaments. Over recent years, many of those Masters events have expanded from the traditional nine‑day format to a twelve‑day stretch, a change that has been increasingly criticized by players who feel the added days translate into more travel, less recovery time, and a higher risk of physical strain. Henman, who reached a career‑high ranking of world No.
4 and captured the Paris Masters title in 2003, believes the solution lies in trimming the length of these tournaments. "It’s been well documented that the twelve‑day Masters 1000s are just too much tennis," he said in a recent interview. "That amount of time on the road is exhausting, and we’re seeing a growing number of injuries as a result. I would cut the events down to eight or nine days, which would free up the calendar and give players a much‑needed breather." Beyond the schedule, Henman also floated a more radical rule change: the elimination of the let serve.
"Every other shot can hit the top of the net, go over and in, so I would get rid of it and play it as it comes," he suggested, arguing that such a tweak could streamline matches and reduce unnecessary delays. Alcaraz’s own experience underscores the need for more flexibility. After a wrist injury forced him out of the French Open and Wimbledon, his first tournament back was the US Open, where he reached the quarter‑finals.
Speaking in New York, the Spaniard admitted his recovery had taken longer than expected. "Given the packed schedule, I didn’t want to stop because of an injury, but in the future I’ll take longer breaks—maybe one or two months, skipping certain events—because it’s impossible to play everything," he explained. At the Laver Cup, which saw Team Europe claim victory, Alcaraz added that modern tennis has evolved dramatically. "They’ve changed the balls, the courts, the speed of play, and the movement is now more aggressive.
We need weeks to practice and to do the physical training. 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 compete in a lot of big events, they need to do something about the schedule," he warned.
Other players echo these concerns. Italian youngster Flavio Cobolli reflected on the sheer number of matches and days spent away from home. "If you look at the number of tournaments and the number of matches we play during the year, it’s not that high. We’re used to playing that much.
The only thing we’re not used to is staying at a tournament for so many days. The format has changed, and maybe we still need to get used to it. I’ve now been away from home for almost a month and a half, and even if I’d gone all the way here, I would have played fewer than ten matches," he said. Veteran doubles specialist Jamie Murray also voiced support for a more player‑centric calendar.
In an interview with Sky Sports Tennis, he said, "I can totally understand it from the players' perspective. The tour is longer than it’s ever been in terms of commitment and days away from home.
These younger guys have seen how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have elongated their careers—how they finished their careers as well. If they want to play until they’re 34, 35, 36, they’ll probably have to skip tournaments, and that’s something the tour needs to consider.
The tour is catering to over a hundred players, and they all want to be out there competing, but they also need time to recover and live their lives." The cumulative effect of these statements paints a clear picture: the current structure of the ATP calendar, with its elongated Masters 1000 events and densely packed mandatory tournaments, is placing an undue burden on players. Injuries that keep stars like Sinner, Alcaraz, Raducanu, and Draper off the court for months are becoming more frequent, and the mental toll of constant travel and limited downtime cannot be ignored. Industry insiders suggest that a reduction of the Masters 1000 events to a nine‑day format could create a more balanced season, allowing athletes to schedule strategic rest periods without sacrificing the prestige of the tournaments. Additionally, revisiting rules such as the let serve might streamline play and reduce match length, further easing physical strain.
In summary, Tim Henman’s call for a calendar overhaul is gaining traction among a growing chorus of players who are feeling the strain of an increasingly demanding tour. By shortening the Masters 1000 events, providing clearer windows for rest, and possibly tweaking certain on‑court rules, the ATP could foster a healthier, more sustainable environment that protects its top talent while preserving the excitement and competitiveness that fans love.