ATP announces 2026 calendar change: A welcome break after Wimbledon

Sunday, 21 September 2025 at 19:35

The 2026 ATP calendar will feature a new adjustment, as announced by the ATP after meetings held in New York following the US Open. This year's hardcourt swing was also an occasion for executives to meet and make some decisions that involve changes to the calendar after Wimbledon.

For a while now, the hectic calendar has drawn criticism from players, and the ATP seems to be sending a signal that it is willing to make changes. The adjustment will involve moving the Los Cabos Open—which kicks off the hardcourt swing—to provide players with an extra week of rest to make the transition from the end of the European tour to the start of the North American tour.

In total, there will be 59 tournaments in 29 different countries, in addition to the four regular Grand Slam events (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open).

The Calendar move

In the 2025 calendar—as is traditional—Wimbledon was played during the first two weeks of July. The week after Wimbledon had the Nordea Open Baastad and Swiss Open Gstaad on European clay courts, and the Los Cabos Open on hardcourts, for a total of three ATP 250 tournaments. In the fourth week of July, the DC Open (ATP 500) was played, along with the Croatia Open and Kitzbühel (ATP 250, both on clay courts).

This year, the Los Cabos Open began on July 14, just one day after the Wimbledon Final. Players had to travel around 9,300 km (5,800 miles) and adapt quickly to a 6-hour time difference. This time, the Mexican tournament was postponed by a week, leaving only the European tournaments in the week after Wimbledon.

Read also

Players like Andrey Rublev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and eventual champion Denis Shapovalov were some of the top players who competed in Los Cabos the week after Wimbledon. In Rublev's case, for example, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, he had less than a week to get to Mexico and compete again (reaching the semifinals).

However, the ATP has announced a strategic adjustment to the calendar to allow players a few days of rest before returning to competition on the North American tour, transitioning back to hardcourts after almost four months of tournaments on clay and grass.

In 2026, the men's Wimbledon final will be played on Sunday, July 12, and then there will be two weeks of European tournaments. The final clay-court events will be played in consecutive weeks: Umag, Gstaad, and Baastad starting on July 13, and Estoril and Kitzbühel from July 20 to 26.

With this change, the North American season will begin 15 days after the end of the year's third Grand Slam, with the DC Open (ATP 500) and Los Cabos Open (250) events starting at July 28.

Noteworthy changes from 2025:

• Estoril returns to the calendar as an ATP 250 in July.

• Los Cabos (ATP 250) is delayed by one week, and the Croatia Open is moved up by one week.

• Open 13 Provence, an ATP 250, moves from Marseille to Lyon and changes from February to October.

• The Stockholm ATP 250 moves from October to November.

• The Metz ATP 250 will not be held.

Read also

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

Ben Shelton's injury woes continue as he withdraws from Japan Open

Iga Swiatek pulls off exquisite comeback to claim Korea Open title in Seoul against Ekaterina Alexandrova