The tennis calendar has become the sport’s biggest villain. From Carlos Alcaraz’s frustrations to Iga Swiatek’s candid confessions, top players have sounded the alarm about the toll of endless tournaments. In the middle of the storm, the former world number one, Jannik Sinner, finally broke his silence—and his response was not what fans expected.

On the women’s side, we have seen both Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff raising their concerns about the WTA Tour scheduling during their time at the China Open. The Pole claimed that the schedule was “overwhelming”, while the American stated that it’s “impossible” for players to keep up with the six mandatory WTA 500 events. Now, coming to the men’s side, Alcaraz time and again raised his voice about how the schedule is “killing” the players. Even America’s Taylor Fritz labelled the tennis schedule “insane.”

Just a few days ago, another American star, Marcos Giron, also shared his thoughts on the same during a conversation on ‘The Changeover Podcast.’ He said, “Well, quality of life back home…I mean, it’s the Tour; the schedule is nuts. I mean, from January to November, it’s full. It’s tough, man. It’s brutal like this, and it’s insane the amount of traveling you have to do.” Surprisingly, after hearing all these complaints, the Italian star, Jannik Sinner, took a different stance on this ongoing debate.

Shortly after ending his China Open campaign with a title triumph, Sinner is all set to start his title defense mission in the Shanghai Masters. But before that, he attended the press conference in Shanghai, and during that, he was asked whether he agrees with Alcaraz, Gauff, and Swiatek’s criticism of the packed tennis schedule. In reply to that, Jannik Sinner said, “Yeah, I mean, I don't want to criticize anything. For me, everyone thinks in different ways. We can still, as I always say, we can still choose, you know, as players; you just have to understand what the priority is for ourself.” He also added, “I always made choices, even last year, you know, sometimes jumping some tournaments. The schedule is what it is. If you want to play a tournament, you have to play tournament. If not, you make another choice to rest or practice, you know, that's it. So, yeah, it is what it is.”

It was a statement that stood in stark contrast to the growing chorus of discontent among his peers. While Alcaraz highlighted how the calendar left little room for recovery, and Swiatek worried about the toll it could take on mental health, Sinner chose a different path—one of acceptance and adaptation. Who among these players has played the most matches this season, though? 

As the Tour barrels towards its year-end finale, the contrast in player reactions paints a vivid picture of the sport’s current dilemma: a game that demands more than ever before, with stars caught between ambition and exhaustion. And amidst all these, Jannik Sinner has chosen not to join the chorus of complaints, but to carve out his own quiet philosophy. But which tournaments is he going to play next, and what do others in the tennis world have to say about this ongoing debate?

After Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic weighs in on calendar controversy

Following the complaints from the WTA stars like Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, former British pro Anne Keothavong shared his thoughts on the same. She said, “It’s a tricky one, it is a packed calendar and certainly for the top players, what they’re expected to compete and how many events are expected to compete in, especially if they’re getting through to the latter stages, it’s a lot and the commitments off court as well at these events.”

Having said that, she also added, “But at the same time I always hear cries for more prize money, more prize money, and this is what the Tour’s got to [do] – to increase the prize money they’ve had to extend the length of these tournaments.” According to her, the calendar as a whole needs to be thought about, and tennis needs to come together and come up with something better for the players.

She feels it’s not just the calendar or the tournaments; it’s the governance of the sport that requires something big and bold. Moreover, Keothavong believes that it’d be helpful for the players to be educated about the ecosystem of tennis. She feels that players don’t really have the space to really understand how an event works, how it makes money. So, in order to address this miscommunication, she had asked for some of these changes.

On the other hand, just like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, also shared his opinion on this ongoing controversy. Before starting his campaign at the Shanghai Masters alongside Sinner, he stated, “More than 15 years ago I was talking about us needing to come together and reorganize the schedule. It's an individual sport... at the end of the day you can still make choices. There are people who just don't want to change things in our sport for the better... when it comes to the players' welfare.”

Djokovic feels that the players are “still not united enough” or investing enough time and energy to force this change in the racket sport. 

Having already played around 41 matches this season, Djokovic has committed to playing only at the Hellenic Championships in Athens after the Shanghai Masters. There isn’t any confirmation yet about his participation in the ATP Finals. So, Nole will probably not be seen in action as much as someone like Sinner or Alcaraz.

Other than the Shanghai Masters, Jannik Sinner is set to take part in the Six Kings Slams, Vienna Open, Paris Masters, and ATP Finals this year. And if things go right, he could well be seen in action at the Davis Cup Finals as well, which will be taking place in Bologna from November 18 to 23. Who, between Alcaraz and Sinner, do you think will clinch more titles in this last phase of the 2025 season?

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallySports. He brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his experience in writing with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

Know more

Edited by

Shrabana Sengupta