Carlos Alcaraz, the number one tennis player in the world, pulled out of the Shanghai Masters because of “physical issues.” This added to the rising criticism of the tough schedule for top players. He pulled out because of injuries and retirements at the China Open, which makes people wonder if the present tennis schedule is sustainable.
Alcaraz, who is 22 years old, hurt his ankle during the Tokyo Open but still won the title. He said, “The schedule is really tight,” about how busy it is. They need to do something about the scheduling. He then left Shanghai to “rest and recover,” but it’s not clear when he will be back.
There have been a lot of withdrawals in the last week. On Monday alone, five players retired, including well-known names like Daniil Medvedev, Lorenzo Musetti, and Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic singles winner, who said she came back too soon after having elbow surgery.
Other top players, like Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, have also said they are worried about the tough tour. Swiatek said she might not play in certain tournaments to protect her health, while Gauff said it was “impossible” for her to play more than she already does, thus she called for a shorter season.
Even though there are worries, regulating bodies have stood up for the schedule. The WTA said that “athlete welfare is always a top priority,” and they pointed to their efforts to make playing opportunities more predictable and the fact that player pay will go up by $400 million over the next ten years.
There is still a lot of controversy about whether the present calendar puts player health first or encourages endurance. Injuries show how hard it is to play professional tennis all year round.