Alcaraz : « They have to do something with the calendar »
Carlos Alcaraz, who skipped two Masters 1000 events in three months (Toronto and Shanghai), is calling on the ATP Tour to set new standards regarding player workload.
Carlos Alcaraz, Rolex Paris Masters 2025 | © Federico Pestelleni / PsNewz
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has argued that the “amount of tournament that we have to play… is too high,” as he said Saturday in Paris prior to the final Masters 1000 of the season. The Spanish star stated that the tour schedule does not allow players sufficient time for preparation or physical recovery, a common complaint among the sport’s top athletes.
“Obviously they have to do something with the calendar,” the 22-year-old said as early as his first quote on site. “We don’t have such, you know, good period of time that we can practice, we can rest.”
Alcaraz, who admitted he doesn’t have an “exactly amount of matches that we should play,” (74 outside the exhibitions, editor’s note) emphasized the relentless nature of the tour: “I think it’s week after week after week and we don’t have the chance to have a week just to prepare pretty well the tournaments or what we have ahead in the season.”
Alcaraz withdrew in Shanghai
Alcaraz provided a personal example of the toll the schedule takes, explaining his decision to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters following his win at the Tokyo Open. He had also skipped the Canadian Open in August before the Wimbledon final and the US swing.
“I didn’t want to withdraw from Shanghai. It’s a really important tournament for me and for the players. But I had to heal my body, and I think I wasn’t ready to play another tournament in a row,” he explained, specifically noting he had to recover an ankle injury.
His withdrawal was a calculated move to manage his conditioning for the final months of the season. “We could see last year, two years ago that I’m not coming fresh to this time of the year,” he said. “So I really wanted to put more attention on that, being in good shape, practicing well, and coming here, thinking that I can do a really good result.”
A lot to prove indoors
He added that he is now “feeling good” and “hitting the ball really well,” before a series of top indoor competitions which he has never won – the Rolex Paris Masters, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup.
Alcaraz’s remarks follow widespread concern from his peers regarding the physical demands of the tour. Fellow top player Alexander Zverev has previously voiced frustration with the expansion of most Masters 1000 events to two weeks, arguing the move strains players further. Women’s World No. 1 Iga Świątek has also called the schedule “too intense” and mentally demanding.
The players’ frustration comes amid a recent expansion announcement by the ATP, confirming a new, 10th Masters 1000 tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia starting in 2028. This addition, fueled by major investment from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), puts the tour’s governing body in the difficult position of accommodating player welfare demands while simultaneously growing the global footprint of the sport through more events.
