Carlos Alcaraz states tennis is 'going in the wrong direction' as injury-hit season for top talents fuels argument

2026 has been a year dominated by injuries on the ATP Tour for the top two players in the world. As soon as Carlos Alcaraz returns to the fray, his arch rival Jannik Sinner gets injured and has to endure a torrid period on the sidelines. This has made the Spaniard come out and describe tennis as 'going backwards' as he shares his support for his main enemy on court.

Alcaraz began the year with a bang, winning the Australian Open and Qatar Open. His form would slightly fall off in the Sunshine swing, with Sinner getting one over him in the Monte-Carlo Masters final. That would be the only time the pair clashed in 2026 on the ATP Tour.

Alcaraz would pick up a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open and would not return until the US Open. On the contrary, Sinner was flying. His Masters 1000 title haul was marvelled at by many, with him successfully defending his Wimbledon title against Alexander Zverev. That was his most recent match.

A knee problem has proved detrimental to the Italian's 2026 season ambitions, much more serious than first feared, as he is set for a long period on the sidelines, hopeful of returning in 2027. Alcaraz has since got back in the swing of things, reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open before helping Team Europe win the Laver Cup. He did not showcase his very best stuff on a consistent basis in the Japan Open but still managed to defend his title and now travels to the Shanghai Masters to battle against the best in the world once more.

Alcaraz has voiced his concerns over the growing number of injuries being picked up, relating it to the busy schedules. He would continue to speak about these worrying trends when stepping foot in Shanghai.

Speaking to the media ahead of the event, the 23-year-old was not holding back. “One of the reasons we had to see the players who are getting injured [is because] I think they are pushing us too much out of the line sometimes, to play a lot of tournaments, to play a lot of matches. I think it's getting in the wrong direction."

He linked this to why Sinner is currently not competing. "I just wish Jannik the best for these months, just to be in good shape for the next season. Hopefully [we will] see him soon, but I think they have to see a little bit [of] what's going on on the Tour along with the players.”

The ATP Tour has a number of mandatory events for players to compete in. That includes all four Grand Slam events, eight of the nine Masters 1000 events (Monte-Carlo Masters not mandatory), and the ATP Finals if qualified.

This is already putting on a lot of strain for the players who are trying to keep up with all the competition and travel. Extending Masters 1000 events has not helped this process, with the ATP 500 tournaments also racking up. In total, the season lasts 11 months with a very short off-season for players to relax before it all starts up again Down Under. It is yet to be seen whether there will be change in the future to the schedule as Alcaraz continues to lead the charge for altercations.