Alcaraz calls for breaks as packed tennis calendar fuels injuries

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz said he plans to take more breaks from the tennis tour, warning that the packed calendar is contributing to player injuries and fatigue.

The Spaniard returned to action at the U.S. Open after a lengthy layoff caused by a wrist injury he sustained in April. After beating Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday, Alcaraz said the demands of the schedule make it difficult for players to compete in every major event without risking burnout.

“I took more time off than I wanted, but seeing how tight the calendar is, I don’t want to take a break because of an injury,” Alcaraz told reporters.

“In the future, I’m going to take some long breaks. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”

Since 2025, seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events have been expanded to 12 days, with only Monte Carlo and Paris retaining their traditional one-week formats.

The ATP has said players control their own schedules and that it is working to encourage an appropriate number of matches during the season.

“They are adding more important tournaments. In a way, they are making us play,” he said.

“You can say no and decide your calendar, but there are some Masters 1000s, some Grand Slams, and we are out playing 40 weeks if we have to play every mandatory tournament that the ATP requires us to play.”

Alcaraz pointed to a growing injury toll on the tour, with Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Holger Rune and Joao Fonseca among the players who missed this year’s U.S. Open.

“We are seeing a lot of players getting injured and tired. If they don’t do anything about it, we are going to see even more in the future,” he added.