World No 1 Iga Swiatek is among those constantly appealing to tennis chiefs to dilute the tennis schedule, but the next few weeks will confirm that players need to take responsibility for their own health amid burnout concerns.
Swiatek’s passionate plea for a reduced tennis schedule was made after she returned from her exploits at the Olympic Games and opted to play in the WTA 1000 event at Cincinnati.
“What can I say? I’ve been kind of an advocate in saying that we shouldn’t, I don’t know… be pushing and pushing for us to play more,” said Swiatek.
“Obviously it is not our decision, but for sure I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It’s not going to end well.
“It makes tennis less fun for us. Obviously, I love playing in all these places, but it’s pretty exhausting. Most of the players will tell you that. Especially when you are playing at a higher level and going to the end of tournaments.
“I don’t think it should be like that because we deserve to rest a little bit more. Maybe people are going to hate me for saying that.
“I’m asking for rest. That doesn’t make sense, but the best players learn how to balance it out wherever the ATP or WTA are pushing. We will see in the future how it works out.”
Swiatek’s comments sparked a talking point in tennis, yet a glance at the calendar over the next few weeks confirms the game’s leading players have opted to play in exhibition events that are lucrative money spinners.
Carlos Alcaraz will headline “The Garden Cup,” a tennis exhibition set to take place on December 4 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.
This iconic venue, home to the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers, will host Alcaraz, the reigning champion of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as he faces off against American Ben Shelton. Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro are also set to play.
Exhibition events see players handed huge sums to play and there is no more lucrative tournament than the ‘Six King Slam’ that is set to feature Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.
The UTS tournament is a showcase for a fast-paced version of tennis that continues to attract some of the biggest male players chasing big money prize money, with two more UTS events set to take place in 2024 in Frankfurt and London.
Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton and Nick Kyrgios are among the big names scheduled to play at UTS Frankfurt, with coaching guru Patrick Mouratoglou the mastermind behind that event.
Next week’s Laver Cup in Berlin is another exhibition tournament offering big appearance fees for players, with Alcaraz among a cast list for that event that no longer includes Rafael Nadal, after he pulled out of the event.
So while Swiatek may argue the number of mandatory tournaments players are expected to play needs to be reduced, tennis chiefs would point to the number of exhibition events taking place as evidence that players are willing to put their bodies on the line if the money on offer is enough to get them on court.
Few would argue with Swiatek when she claims players are being pushed to breaking point, especially in an Olympic year.
Yet the reality must be that players are responsible for their own schedules and if fatigue is an issue, they would not be playing so many high-profile exhibition tournaments.
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