Former British No. 1 Tim Henman has taken a firm stance on the current ATP schedule, arguing that the 12‑day format of the Masters 1000 events places an unsustainable burden on the modern tennis professional. In his view, the extended tournament windows contribute to a surge in injuries and force players to spend excessive time travelling, which ultimately undermines both performance and longevity on the circuit.
Henman, who captured the Paris Masters title in 2003 and once reached a career‑high ranking of world No. 4, believes the calendar needs a fundamental redesign. "The 12‑day Masters 1000s are just too much tennis," he told reporters. "It means too many days on the road, and we’re seeing a clear correlation with the rising injury count among top players.
Cutting the events down to eight or nine days would free up the schedule and give athletes the breathing room they desperately need." His comments come at a time when several high‑profile players have been sidelined for extended periods. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, for instance, will miss the upcoming China Open because a knee injury has kept him out since Wimbledon.
Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz has also struggled, missing both the French Open and Wimbledon due to a wrist problem. In the UK, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have each endured long spells away from competition throughout 2026, highlighting a broader trend of fatigue and physical strain across the sport. The ATP currently mandates participation in eight of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments for most top‑ranked players, in addition to four ATP 500 events.
Over the past few years, many of those Masters events have expanded from a traditional one‑week format to a 12‑day affair, a change that has been hotly debated among players, coaches, and administrators. Henman’s suggestion to revert to a shorter format would not only reduce travel but also potentially lower the total number of matches a player must contest in a single swing. Beyond the calendar, Henman floated a more radical rule change: eliminating the let serve. "Every other shot can hit the top of the net, go over, and land in," he argued.
"If we got rid of the let, the game would flow faster and players would have to adapt to a slightly different rhythm, which could make matches more exciting and less predictable." Alcaraz, who recently reached the US Open quarter‑finals – his first tournament appearance since the Barcelona Open in April – echoed the sentiment that the schedule is too cramped. Speaking in New York, the Spaniard admitted his recovery period was longer than anticipated. "Given the packed schedule, I didn’t want to quit because of an injury, but I realize now that I need longer breaks. Maybe not four months, but a month or two, skipping certain events, because it’s impossible to play everything," he said.
He later elaborated at the Laver Cup, where Team Europe emerged victorious. "Tennis has changed dramatically – the balls, the courts, the speed of play. The movement is now more aggressive, and we need weeks to train physically and mentally. There are more important tournaments, which forces us to play more and more.
I really want to take breaks," Alcaraz added, urging the ATP and its chairman Andrea Gaudenzi to consider structural adjustments if they wish to keep the sport’s elite healthy and competitive. Italian youngster Flavio Cobolli also expressed doubts about the current tournament load. "If you look at the number of tournaments and matches we play during the year, it’s not that high – we’re used to that volume. What’s new is staying at a single event for so many days," he explained.
"The format has changed, and we’re still adapting. I’ve been away from home for almost six weeks, and even if I played every possible match, it would be fewer than ten." Veteran doubles specialist Jamie Murray shared a similar perspective in an interview with Sky Sports Tennis.
"I can totally understand it from the players’ point of view. The tour is longer than ever in terms of commitment and days away from home," he said. "These younger guys have seen how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal extended their careers – they finished later, but they also had to manage their schedules carefully.
If players want to compete into their mid‑30s, they’ll need to skip tournaments, and the tour must take that into account. The tour serves over a hundred players, and they all want to be out there competing, but we need a realistic framework." The collective voice of these athletes underscores a growing consensus: the modern tennis calendar, with its elongated Masters 1000 events and dense cluster of high‑profile tournaments, is pushing the limits of what the human body can endure. While the ATP has made incremental adjustments over the years, many feel that a more decisive overhaul is required – whether that means shortening Masters tournaments, reducing mandatory commitments, or even revisiting long‑standing rules like the let serve. If the governing bodies choose to ignore these warnings, the sport risks seeing even more top‑ranked players sidelined by injury, fan fatigue from overexposed stars, and a potential decline in the overall quality of competition.
Conversely, embracing a more player‑centric schedule could extend careers, enhance match intensity, and preserve the excitement that makes tennis a global spectacle. For fans eager to stay updated, live coverage of upcoming events such as the WTA China Open and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters remains available on platforms like NOW and the Sky Sports app, ensuring that even as the sport debates its future, the action continues to reach audiences worldwide.