Tennis fans are once again calling for change to the packed tournament schedules in the ATP and WTA after Australian Open champion Carlos Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from next week’s Rotterdam Open. And five top women’s players have also withdrawn from the WTA 1000 event in Doha.
World No.1 Alcaraz was supposed to be the headliner for the indoor tournament in Rotterdam set to begin on February 9, after winning the hard-court event in 2025. But the tournament announced on Monday night that Alcaraz has decided to withdraw due to his gruelling Australian Open campaign that saw him complete a career grand slam.
Carlos Alcaraz (L) is out of Rotterdam, while Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys (R) have withdrawn from Doha. Image: Getty
The Rotterdam Open’s official account wrote on X: “Carlos Alcaraz won’t defend his title in Rotterdam. The Australian Open champion concluded that after his exertions over the past two weeks, he needs more time to return to action. We wish Carlos a swift recovery.”
Rotterdam is an ATP 500 event, meaning Alcaraz will relinquish 500 rankings points by not playing and trying to defend his title. But the Spaniard can afford the loss of points as his Australian Open triumph took him to a whopping 13,650 at the top of the ATP rankings.
The World No.1 extended his lead from No.2 Jannik Sinner to 3350 points, after Sinner dropped 1200 to 10,300 because he failed to defend his Australian Open title. Sinner lost in the semi-finals to Novak Djokovic after winning the title in 2025.
Carlos Alcaraz completed a career grand slam by winning the Australian Open.
(Getty Images)Five women’s players withdraw from WTA 1000 event
On Tuesday it was also announced that Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys, Iva Jovic and Marta Kostyuk have withdrawn from the WTA 1000 event in Doha starting February 8. All five are ranked in the top 25, robbing the event of some serious star power.
The move should be a huge red flag to organisers that so many top stars would be willing to miss a 1000 event, which means 1000 rankings points are on offer to the winner. WTA and ATP 1000 events are the considered the level just below the grand slams.
Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula after their clash at the Australian Open.
(Robert Prange via Getty Images)
Alcaraz’s withdrawal from Rotterdam and the top women’s players sitting out Doha has raised fresh questions about the nature of the schedule, with many wondering why there isn’t more of a break after the Australian Open. Rotterdam commences just eight days after the Australian Open men’s final, before tournaments in Doha and Rio on February 16.
Dubai and Acapulco (all ATP 500 events) then kick off on February 23. Alcaraz will likely opt to play Doha as it gives him more rest after the Australian Open, but he was never very likely to play both Rotterdam and Doha.
In the WTA, there’s a 500 event in Abu Dhabi the very next day after the Australian Open women’s final, as well as 250 events in Romania and the Czech Republic. Another 1000-level event commences on February 15 in Dubai, which the likes of Pegula, Osaka, Keys, Jovic and Kostyuk will likely prioritise instead of Doha.
Tennis fans once again call for change
One fan wrote online: “Rotterdam is so unlucky to be always be so close to AO in the schedule. I was so looking forward to see Carlos in indoor action again. If only there was 2 weeks in between…”
Another person wrote: “Such a shame that the tennis calendar is so tightly packed.” While a third added: “Tennis schedule is punishing.”
There have been calls for the last couple of years for the ATP and WTA tours to revise how many tournaments are played throughout the year, with players often bemoaning the gruelling and relentless grind. Despite Alcaraz’s withdrawal, Rotterdam will still have top players like Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime in action, while Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are still down to play Doha at this stage.