In the world of professional tennis, few things spark as much debate as the players’ schedules. For players like Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz, two of the sport’s brightest stars, the relentless calendar of tournaments in the last couple of seasons has become more than a talking point – it’s a battle of endurance, both physically and mentally. Last year, after clinching the title at the China Open, Alcaraz said the schedule is “killing” the players. He highlighted how difficult it has become for the players to travel from tournament to tournament with just one or two days. Before his appearance at the ATP 500 event in Washington, Fritz labelled the tennis schedule “insane.” Now, yet another American joins that list!
Seeing several superstars pulling out of the 2025 Canadian Open, Fritz said he thinks that, pretty much all the players for a long time have been asking for the season to be shorter, but all they are doing is just lengthening it by adding more stuff, like longer tournaments. If we take a look at the numbers, Fritz has already played 61 matches this season, while for Alcaraz the number is even bigger (73). Recently, during a conversation on ‘The Changeover Podcast,’ another American star, Marcos Giron, was asked to share his thoughts about the current ATP schedule and if it really affects his quality of life on Tour and being away from home.
Currently ranked 48th in the world, Giron has played around 43 matches this season. According to him, “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. It’s insane the amount of traveling you have to do…Everyone who probably listens to this, you guys, everyone who plays knows.” He said that it’s pretty “cool” to have the best players playing against the best people across some good places around the world, which deserve to see high-level tennis. But for the players, he feels it’s a bit tough at times.
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He added, “The time on the road is brutal…Also, the two-week events are just too long. Like, even if you win a match, you have a day off, it’s not real recovery. You’re just kind of okay; it’s you want to compartmentalize, you want to separate, but it’s like, okay, well, who do I got next…so it’s kind of like a weird, like a lot of time, a lot of time on the road where it kind of feels like there is empty space where you’re just like, okay, I’d rather just be battling every day or go home…that’s kind of relentless… I don’t know; it’s tough, it’s not easy.” But it’s not just the ATP stars who have raised their voice on this topic!
The world number 2, Iga Swiatek, has already played more than 70 matches this season, and as per her recent statements from Beijing, ” I think we play too much, and the schedule is crazy.” She said that looking at the schedule for next year was “overwhelming” in a complaint about the number of games the top players must feature in.
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For fans, these remarks offered a rare glimpse behind the curtain of professional tennis—a reminder that the glamor of all these mega tennis events and epic rallies often hides the physical and mental strain players endure week after week. As the 2025 season marches on, the conversation around scheduling is likely to intensify. But in a sport defined by stamina and skill, their voices remind us that even champions have limits.
Yet, despite the grueling nature of their schedules, both Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz continue to shine on court, thrilling audiences with their high-octane tennis.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz keep their winning runs intact at the Japan Open
The world number 5, Taylor Fritz, recently took down his compatriot, Sebastian Korda, by 6-3,6(5)-7,6-3 in the QF of the 2025 Japan Open. Fritz had won this title in 2022, and at that time, he defeated Frances Tiafoe in yet another hard-fought battle. Next up for him in the SF will be the 24-year-old Jenson Brooksby.
Interestingly, this win against Korda has given Fritz an edge over Novak Djokovic. How? He has now overtaken the Serb in the ATP Live Rankings. Taylor Fritz is now placed at the fourth spot with 4,865 points, while Djokovic is sitting at the fifth place with 4,830 points. But Fritz has 1,210 points to defend until the end of the 2025 season, compared to Djokovic’s just 650 points. So, still, there is a lot of work left for the American to retain this lead over the ‘Serbinator.’ However, despite being below him in the Live Rankings, Djokovic is actually ahead of Fritz in the Live Race to the ATP Finals.
On the other side, Carlos Alcaraz recently secured his 65th win of the 2025 season. He defeated America’s Brandon Nakashima in the QF of the same tournament by 6-2,6-4 and as a result of this win, he’ll now face Casper Ruud in the semis. The Spaniard powered 25 winners past Nakashima with his forehand alone to secure his ninth consecutive tour-level semi-final. Since 1990, Alcaraz is now just the fourth player to reach 9+ consecutive SFs at the ATP-level events entered (excluding team events). What did he say after this remarkable victory, though?
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“It’s great to go through, to play another semi-final. It’s special because it’s the first time I am playing here in Japan and here in Tokyo, so to reach the semi-finals in my first appearance is something great,” said the Spaniard. Further on, while sharing his thoughts about his incredible 50-3 record since April this year, he added, “Probably [it’s the best period of my career]. I’m just feeling great on the court every time I step on the court. I just think I can do everything. I’m approaching the end of the season with a lot of confidence, and these kinds of matches, this kind of level, help a lot to keep the confidence high.”
Carlos Alcaraz has a 4-1 record against the Norwegian. Do you think he can extend his winning streak by securing a victory against Ruud in the semis?