Flavio Cobolli and Jaume Munar closed the 2025 season at the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna on November 23, yet the next campaign begins just 40 days later at the United Cup on January 2, 2026. With exhibitions further shrinking recovery time, the off-season debate is heating up. Now, former Wimbledon semifinalist John Isner has weighed in, adding his voice to the growing discussion.

During the latest episode of the Nothing Major Podcast, John Isner shared his views on the tennis off-season. He admitted his opinion might divide fans and players.

“This might be a controversial take, but the off-season is so overrated,” Isner said.

He focused on how priorities change once players reach their late twenties.

“Especially once you’ve sort of established yourself, when you get to your late 20s, you’re not re-inventing the wheel,” he explained.

Isner stressed that players should focus on staying healthy. 

“You just need to maintain and keep yourself healthy,” Isner added. “Obviously, be really professional, but you don’t need to absolutely kill yourself during the course of three weeks.” He emphasized basic habits. “Work hard, sleep well, eat well, and just get ready for the next year.”

The former Wimbledon semifinalist then discussed younger players. “If you’re 20 and you’re new on tour, yes, you need to get your body stronger,” he said. He explained that early in a career, the off-season plays a much bigger role.

“At the beginning of your career, the off-season is very important to get that base,” Isner continued. “But once you’ve established yourself, it’s about maintaining and keeping things smooth.” He also highlighted recovery. “Treatment becomes just as important as the gym work.”

Sam Querrey also questioned whether an off-season still exists.

“Is there even an off-season in tennis anymore?” he asked. Querrey listed events filling the calendar. “There’s exhibitions going on right now, there’s UTS, Davis Cup was a week ago, United Cup probably starts December 30.”

Querrey summed it up bluntly.

“Why do we even say there is an off-season in tennis?” he said. “Guys go on vacation for a week, and they just start practising again.” Steve Johnson agreed and compared tennis to golf.

“It’s one of those things, you have to say it,” Johnson said. “Every other sport has an off-season.” He added, “But in the tennis world, no, there’s not really an off-season.” 

As the discussion continued, the panel also took a swipe at the growing number of exhibition events staged during the off-season.

Steve Johnson casts doubt on the significance of off-season exhibition events 

After the 2025 season ended at the Davis Cup, the off-season featured several exhibition events. Top players stayed busy on the court, keeping fans engaged and the sport visible during the break.

Carlos Alcaraz has already played exhibitions against Frances Tiafoe and Joao Fonseca this year. He is set for another high-profile exhibition at the start of 2026 against his rival, Jannik Sinner, in South Korea.

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On the women’s side, Venus Williams and Madison Keys competed in a recent exhibition at the Charlotte Invitational on December 4, 2025. Keys won decisively, 7-6, 6-0. A brief line-calling glitch added a comical moment that confused both players and fans. It also highlighted ongoing debates about electronic line calls in tennis.

However, Alcaraz acknowledged that exhibitions are less physically and mentally demanding than tournaments.

“It’s normal for people to think this way and not understand why we complain about the schedule when we then schedule exhibitions. For me, the biggest difference is that in a tournament you have to maintain concentration, and it is demanding both physically and mentally.” 

And now, Steve Johnson praised the players for taking part in exhibitions despite fan criticism. He emphasized the benefits of staying active and promoting the sport.

“There will be guys who play 35 weeks a year, plus exhibitions,” Johnson said. “But there’s really no off-season; it’s good for the guys, like Carlos [Alcaraz] and these guys who have such a limited schedule compared to most because they win everything, to do these exhibitions, because I think it does grow the game immensely. When you see him and these guys at events, trying to grow the game in certain areas.”

With the off-season now underway, the debate over exhibitions and player schedules continues. What are your thoughts on the off-season and exhibition discussion? Share your views below.