Tim Henman, the former British No.1 and 2003 Paris Masters champion, has publicly urged the ATP to rethink its tournament schedule, arguing that the current 12‑day format for Masters 1000 events forces players into an unsustainable amount of tennis. Henman’s comments come amid a wave of injury reports and extended absences from the sport’s top competitors, highlighting a growing concern that the calendar’s relentless pace is taking a toll on athletes’ bodies and careers.
The issue has become especially visible this season. World No.1 Jannik Sinner will miss the upcoming China Open because a knee injury, sustained after Wimbledon, has kept him off the court longer than expected. Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz, who missed both the French Open and Wimbledon due to a wrist problem, only returned to competition at the US Open, where he reached the quarter‑finals after a five‑month hiatus. In Britain, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also endured lengthy spells away from competition, joining a growing list of players sidelined for months in 2026.
Eight of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments are mandatory for the sport’s elite, and they are paired with a minimum of four ATP 500 events that players are expected to enter. The shift of most Masters tournaments from a traditional one‑week format to a 12‑day stretch has sparked criticism from players who feel the extra days increase travel time, reduce recovery periods, and ultimately raise the risk of injury. Henman summed up the sentiment succinctly: "The 12‑day Masters 1000s are just too much tennis.
That's too much time on the road and, unfortunately, we’re seeing that reflected in the number of players getting injured." Henman proposed a practical solution: compress the Masters events to eight or nine days. By shortening the tournament window, the calendar would free up valuable weeks for rest and training, allowing players to manage their bodies more effectively.
He also suggested a rule change that, while more speculative, reflects his broader desire for a less taxing schedule. "If I had to make a practical, rule change, I would get rid 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 said, indicating that even small rule tweaks could help reduce match length and physical strain. Alcaraz echoed similar concerns after his return to New York for the US Open.
He admitted that his break from competition was longer than anticipated, and he plans to incorporate longer rest periods moving forward. "Given the packed schedule, I obviously didn’t want to stop because of an injury. However, in the future I will take breaks—maybe not four months, but one or two months, skipping certain tournaments—because it’s impossible to play them all," the Spaniard explained.
His remarks underscore a broader shift among younger players who recognize that longevity in the sport may require strategic tournament selection rather than a relentless grind. At the Laver Cup, which Team Europe won, Alcaraz further elaborated on how the modern game has evolved. He highlighted changes in ball composition, court speed, and the increasingly aggressive style of play, all of which demand more intensive physical preparation.
"We need weeks to practice and to make the physical training. There are more important tournaments making us play more and more, so I really want to take breaks," he said, calling on ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi to consider reforms that would protect players’ health while preserving the sport’s competitive integrity.
Other players have voiced comparable frustrations. Italian rising star Flavio Cobolli noted that while the total number of matches played over a season may not be dramatically higher than in previous years, the length of each tournament stay has increased.
"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 tournament format has changed, and maybe we still need to get used to it," Cobolli said, adding that he had spent nearly six weeks away from home yet would have contested fewer than ten matches in that span. Former doubles champion Jamie Murray, speaking to Sky Sports Tennis, offered a veteran’s perspective on the issue. He acknowledged that the modern tour demands more time away from home than ever before, and that younger players are watching the extended careers of legends like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with keen interest.
"If they want to play until they’re 34, 35, 36, they will probably have to skip tournaments, and that’s something the tour needs to consider," Murray explained. He emphasized that the ATP must balance the aspirations of over a hundred professional players who all want to compete with the practical realities of health, travel, and personal life. The cumulative effect of these voices suggests a clear trend: the current calendar, with its 12‑day Masters events and densely packed schedule, may be unsustainable for many players.
Reducing the length of Masters tournaments, allowing for more optional breaks, and possibly revisiting certain rules could help mitigate injury risk and extend careers. As the ATP evaluates these concerns, the sport may see a shift toward a more player‑friendly structure that still delivers the excitement fans expect while safeguarding the well‑being of its athletes. For fans wanting to follow the ongoing debate, live coverage of the WTA China Open and ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters is available on NOW and the Sky Sports app, ensuring that the conversation around calendar reform remains front and center as the season progresses.