Former British No. 1 Tim Henman has publicly urged the ATP to rethink its scheduling, arguing that the current 12‑day format for Masters 1000 tournaments imposes an unsustainable workload on the modern player. Henman, who captured the Paris Masters title in 2003, said the extended week‑long events force athletes to spend excessive time travelling and competing, contributing to a rise in injuries across the tour.
The issue has become increasingly visible this season. World No.
1 Jannik Sinner confirmed he will miss his scheduled comeback at the China Open because a knee injury has kept him out since Wimbledon. Similarly, Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz was forced to sit out both the French Open and Wimbledon due to a lingering wrist problem, while Britain’s own Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have each endured lengthy absences in 2026. These setbacks underscore the growing concern that the calendar’s density is taking a toll on player health.
Eight of the nine Masters 1000 events are mandatory for top‑ranked players, and they are complemented by a minimum of four ATP 500 tournaments. Over recent years, many of these Masters events have expanded from the traditional eight‑day format to a 12‑day stretch, a change that has drawn criticism from several quarters of the tennis community. Henman believes the solution lies in trimming the duration of these tournaments to eight or nine days, thereby freeing up space in the calendar for rest and recovery. "It’s well documented that the 12‑day Masters 1000s are just too much tennis," Henman said in a recent interview.
"The amount of time spent on the road is excessive, and we’re seeing that reflected in the number of players who get injured. I would definitely shorten them to eight or nine days, which would open up the schedule for much‑needed breaks." In addition to schedule adjustments, Henman suggested a rule change that would eliminate the let serve. "Every other shot can hit the top of the net, go over, and stay in play, so why keep the let?
I’d get rid of it and let the point continue as it naturally would," he added, indicating that a more streamlined set of rules could also reduce physical strain. Alcaraz, who made his return to competition at the US Open after a long hiatus since the Barcelona Open in April, echoed the sentiment of needing more downtime.
Speaking in New York, the Spaniard admitted his recovery period was longer than anticipated. "Given the packed schedule, I didn’t want to stop because of an injury, but moving forward I’ll take longer breaks—maybe one or two months, skipping certain events—because it’s impossible to play everything," he explained.
During the Laver Cup, where Team Europe emerged victorious, Alcaraz further highlighted how the sport has evolved. "The balls, the courts, the speed of play, and the aggressiveness of movement have all changed. We need weeks to train physically and practice, yet the calendar forces us into more and more tournaments. I really want to take breaks," he said, urging the ATP and its chairman Andrea Gaudenzi to consider structural changes if they expect players to continue competing at the highest level.
Italian rising star Flavio Cobolli also voiced concerns about the sheer number of matches and the length of tournament stays. "If you look at the number of tournaments and matches we play throughout the year, it’s not that high, but we’re not used to staying at a single event for so many days.
The format has changed, and we’re still adapting," Cobolli noted, adding that he had already spent nearly a month and a half away from home and would have played fewer than ten matches even if he had traveled the entire distance. Veteran doubles specialist Jamie Murray, speaking to Sky Sports Tennis, expressed empathy for the players’ perspective.
"The tour now demands a longer commitment and more days away from home than ever before. Younger players see how Federer and Nadal extended their careers and realize that to stay competitive into their mid‑30s, they’ll need to skip tournaments. The tour must acknowledge this reality," Murray said. The collective message from these players is clear: the modern tennis calendar, with its elongated Masters 1000 weeks and mandatory event requirements, is unsustainable without significant adjustments.
Reducing the duration of Masters events, providing more flexibility for players to skip non‑essential tournaments, and even revisiting certain rules could help preserve athlete health and extend careers. As the ATP evaluates these concerns, fans can continue to follow the sport through various streaming platforms, including NOW and the Sky Sports app, which broadcast live coverage of events such as the WTA China Open and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters. However, the long‑term viability of the sport may well depend on how quickly governing bodies respond to the growing call for a more balanced, player‑friendly schedule.