Ugo Humbert has joined the growing chorus of tennis players expressing frustration with the increasingly demanding tennis calendar. The Frenchman’s critique comes after a wave of discontent from top players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Alexander Zverev, who have voiced concerns over the packed ATP and WTA schedules. Humbert, currently ranked world No. 16, has taken issue with recent comments made by Jannik Sinner, who suggested that players have the option to skip tournaments if they feel overworked. According to Humbert, the reality for players lower down the rankings is far more complex, and the relentless schedule takes a significant toll on their bodies and mental health.
In a recent interview with *Tennis Majors*, Humbert took aim at Sinner’s more relaxed stance on the tennis calendar, in which the world No. 1 said that while the season is long, players ultimately have control over their schedules. “The schedule is quite long these years,” Sinner stated. “But as players, we can still choose what to play and what not to play. Obviously, we have some mandatory events, yes. As a player, you can still choose. If you want, you can play. If not, you don’t play.”
Humbert, however, disagrees. He argues that Sinner’s position reflects the privilege of being at the top of the rankings, where players have more flexibility and fewer financial pressures. For players ranked outside the top 10 or 20, the situation is starkly different. “I hear some people, like Jannik Sinner, saying you can choose not to play. But they’re not thinking clearly … When you’re 50th or 60th in the world, you try to play as many events as you can to climb up the rankings,” Humbert explained. “We need to rethink things, try and condense things a bit more, because as things stand at the moment, it’s exhausting. After a while, it’s just not possible.”
This debate around the tennis calendar has been heating up for several years, with players increasingly vocal about the physical and mental strain caused by the nonstop tournament schedule. The ATP and WTA Tours run almost year-round, with only a brief offseason in December. For many, this one-month break is insufficient to recover, reset, and prepare for the upcoming season. Humbert echoed these concerns, pointing to the North American swing as a particularly draining part of the year. “I had a period, the North American season, when I wasn’t well, I felt tired, exhausted from traveling, from being away from home all the time,” he said. “It’s too hard, it’s too hard.”
A major point of contention for players like Humbert is the decision to expand several ATP Masters 1000 tournaments to two-week events, starting in 2024. Nine of the 11 Masters 1000 tournaments will now span two weeks, increasing the time players must spend on-site and adding further pressure to their already-packed schedules. Humbert, like Zverev, believes this expansion is driven by financial motives, with little regard for player welfare. “There are too many things, and they (the ATP) do everything to… They never go in the players’ direction,” he said. “I’m sorry, but I think the biggest bulls*** right now is the two-week Masters 1000 tournaments. It’s tiring.”
While the ATP has justified the longer tournaments by promising increased prize money, Humbert argues that the additional earnings do not compensate for the added expenses players incur by staying at tournaments for extended periods. “They tell us that we earn more money, but it’s not true; we have twice as many expenses because of staying twice as long on-site,” he explained. The Frenchman also highlighted the increased injury risk associated with the expanded schedule, as players have less time for recovery between events.
Humbert’s frustration is compounded by the fact that, unlike other professional sports, tennis players only get one month of offseason. “I think it’s a load of nonsense. The season is far too long. There’s no other sport where you only have one month’s break,” he said. “I’m going to finish my season just after Metz and then leave a month later for the United Cup, which starts on December 27. I can’t even spend Christmas at home.”
His comments reflect a broader sentiment within the tennis community. Several players have called for a more player-friendly schedule, with reduced mandatory events and a longer offseason. Alcaraz, for example, has frequently voiced his dissatisfaction with the demands placed on players, citing both the physical and mental toll of constant competition. Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, two of the top women’s players, have echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for more rest and recovery time.
As the ATP and WTA continue to expand the calendar, the question of how to balance player welfare with the commercial interests of the sport remains unresolved. For players like Humbert, who are not yet established among the sport’s elite but are striving to break through, the current system leaves them with little choice but to play as many tournaments as possible, even at the expense of their health. “It’s all about the money for the ATP,” Humbert said. “But there’s more to it than that.”
With more players speaking out, there may come a time when the tours are forced to rethink their approach. For now, however, the schedule remains as demanding as ever, and players like Humbert are left navigating a sport that seems to prioritize profits over player well-being.