It won’t be wrong to say that the tennis calendar has become increasingly demanding for the players over the last few years. This has resulted in a massive spike in injuries, with even top players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner failing to maintain their physical condition. This prompted former ATP pro, Tim Henman, to call for a major change.

“The calendar needs to be reviewed, because less is more, and I would clearly rationalize it,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. “The Masters 1000 should last eight or nine days, and then there should be periods when there is no tennis at the highest level.”

Henman feels that the fans would enjoy a shorter season, where the duration of the Masters 1000 events would be decreased in order to improve player fatigue.

“It’s good for the players, it’s good for the fans, and it creates anticipation for the next event. I’m not a fan of the twelve-day Masters 1000. Physically and psychologically, it’s tiring. In my opinion, we should try to shorten the season instead,” he added.

The 2026 season has seen even the fittest of players sustain serious injuries. The latest example of this was at the HSBC Championships, where a total of 17 players had to withdraw, and most of these were due to physical issues.

One of the names that missed out on the tournament was none other than Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard has been on the sidelines since April due to a wrist injury that he had picked up at the Barcelona Open. The setback has resulted in him being out of action for two months already, and he won’t be featuring in Wimbledon either.

On the other hand, Alcaraz’s rival, Jannik Sinner, has also been having fitness concerns this season. While the Italian hasn’t had much to complain about the schedule, it’s clear that his body hasn’t been able to handle the demands of the exhausting tour.

After constantly participating in tournaments from March to May, his body wasn’t able to take the physical toll of the French Open. It was during the second-round clash against Juan Manuel Cerundolo that Sinner had started showing extreme signs of distress.

Having won the first two sets, he started feeling dizzy all of a sudden in the third, and also looked to be in discomfort. Cerundolo pounced on this opportunity and claimed 15 points in a row to get back into contention. He made light work of Sinner in the final two sets to win the match 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

Seeking to recover as soon as he could, the World No. 1 decided to undergo a series of tests in Turin and the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. Additionally, Sinner also decided not to play any event in the grass swing before Wimbledon in order to retain full fitness.

As even the top players continue to face physical setbacks due to the extremely packed tour, multiple tennis greats have come to their support over the matter. This includes former British No. 1, John Lloyd, who has even offered a unique solution to the problem.

John Lloyd calls for a major rule change in Grand Slams

Lloyd believes that best-of-five set matches severely affect the physical condition of male players during Grand Slams. He has suggested reducing sets to best-of-three for the men’s draw at Grand Slams.

“In my opinion, the calendar is awful,” he had said in an interview with Tennis365. “It has been for years. I think Grand Slams should be best of three sets anyway. I’ve said that for years. All the way through, or certainly from the quarter-finals. I’ve been saying this for years.”

However, it is unlikely that the Grand Slams will make any changes to the traditional format. The male players have been known to play best-of-five set matches since the inaugural edition of Wimbledon, which was held back in 1877.