{"id":268263,"date":"2025-11-07T18:08:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/268263\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T18:08:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:08:09","slug":"atp-schedule-causing-mental-burnout-tennis-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/268263\/","title":{"rendered":"ATP Schedule Causing \u201cMental Burnout\u201d \u2013 Tennis Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the future of tennis, count Jack Draper among the players who has concerns. The British No.1, who spoke at length to the Tennis Podcast this week, is worried that the current modus operandi of the ATP Tour is making the tour a lonely place that is not condusive to long-term growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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He joined a chorus of voices that has urged the ATP to rethink it\u2019s current calendar, and advocated for a slimmed-down schedule that would allow for players to have more time off the tour, and shorter off-seasons.<\/p>\n

Draper, who has not played since the US Open due to an arm injury, breaks it all down during this open dialog. The Brit will be in action in December, at the UTS Grand Final in London.<\/p>\n

You can view the full interview below:<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung players are looking ahead in their careers and thinking: \u2018How long am I really going to be able to play this sport for, how long am I going to be able to cope with the demands of what I\u2019m doing? I hate to see that,\u201d Draper told the Tennis Podcast, before delving into his concerns about the state of the ATP\u2019s schedule as it currently stands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Draper, like many of his peers, is particularly upset about the ATP\u2019s new calendar that features seven two-week Masters 1000 events, up from the previous two. Those five extra weeks are draining the players and turning the tour into a lonely endeavor that is tough on mental health of the players.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The current world No.11 gave a wide-ranging interview with the Tennis Podcast trio \u2013 Catherine Whitaker, Davis Law and Matt Roberts \u2013 but was most interested in saying what he felt had to be said. That change needs to happen for the good of the players.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Injuries are going to happen\u2026 we are pushing our bodies to do things they aren\u2019t supposed to in elite sport. We have so many incredible younger guys on the tour right now and I\u2019m proud to be apart of that, however, the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are gonna\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 jack draper (@jackdraper0) October 18, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that I feel really passionate about,\u201d Draper said. \u201cThe fact that there is so much conversation in tennis right now, it needs someone to speak up, talk out about it, regardless of any criticism that comes along with it and hopefully advocate for some positive solutions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Draper warned that burnout is real, and that players are suffering over the course of the long season, with nonstop travel and few opportunities to jump off the treadmill. He says that the dog-eat-dog atmosphere on tour makes it difficult for players to step away and give up opportunities to gain points and earn ranking points.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More about player welfare than money<\/p>\n

\u201cMore to do with the player welfare, the mental burnout that certain things in the calendar are causing,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cA big part of it is that tennis players are just on the road so much now, and the governing bodies are adding more days, more requirements to the players\u2026 It\u2019s really hard being on the road for that long, and I\u2019m someone who can go away to Madrid and come back home. A lot of these guys are from South America, or Asia, and they just never have any balance of life anymore. I think that\u2019s a big problem.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Make no mistake about it, Draper isn\u2019t happy about having to complain, and he doesn\u2019t want to throw the ATP under the bus. He says that the schedule is simply too much, even if it comes with the best intentions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the ATP,\u201d said Draper. \u201cHowever there are some issues that players aren\u2019t happy with. I think the intention was really good with making the Masters 1000s 12 days, increasing the revenue for the events, and giving back to the players, especially the ones who are performing really well. But the requirements are high. They\u2019ve added an extra, say, 21 days onto an already really packed schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ATP added the extra weeks as part of prioritizing premier events, but the effect has drawn near unanimous criticism from the players, who would prefer to get the events over and done with in a week, rather than stretching them out over two weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ATP has added financial compensation along with requirements, stretching its ATP Masters 1000 and Nitto ATP Finals<\/a> Bonus Pool payments in 2025, which is up to $21 million, from $11.5 million in 2022. But the financial gains are outweighed by the mental stress in Draper\u2019s opinion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Off-Season Needs to be Longer<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really tough thing to sort of verbalize because we are in such a great position,\u201d Draper said. \u201cBut at the same time,\u00a0 when you\u2019re out there, five matches in seven days is so much easier than seven matches in 14 days because there\u2019s so much dead time, there\u2019s so much waiting around.\u201cIt\u2019s more to do with just the player welfare, the mental burnout.\u201d<\/p>\n

The off-season is another issue for Draper. He said it would be massive for the sport to give players time to go home and refresh, be with family and just generally decompress. That\u2019s another area that has long been a bone of contention for the tour\u2019s players.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of an off-season, I\u2019d say a month and a half would be more than enough. Just not two, three, four weeks. I really don\u2019t think that\u2019s beneficial for anyone. I think as a fan of the sport, as someone who, if I were just watching tennis, I\u2019d want it to be a bit more scarce. I\u2019d want it to be more like more build-up. Like you\u2019re waiting for the next event. Like you waiting to see how players have improved and what they\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery week there\u2019s a different match on, there\u2019s a different tournament. You can\u2019t follow it because three different places there\u2019s events and I feel it kind of needs to just take a step back and realise that the product doesn\u2019t have to be out there all the time, but if we can have a product that\u2019s out there for when it\u2019s needed and not necessarily just 24\/7, that\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/p>\n