"I’ve never understood his scheduling, it doesn't make sense": Becker and Petkovic baffled by scheduling complaints with Fritz, Rune and Ruud examples

Tennis legends Boris Becker and Andrea Petkovic have raised serious concerns about the sport’s relentless scheduling and the physical toll it’s taking on players, following a gruelling Asian swing marked by extreme conditions and an unusual wave of withdrawals.

Speaking on their podcast, Petkovic opened the discussion with Shanghai, where temperatures and humidity reached punishing levels even by the city’s standards. “It’s autumn in China, but they probably had a heat wave,” Petkovic said on their podcast.. “Apart from the fact that the Shanghai champions — Alcaraz, Draper and Tsitsipas — didn’t even arrive, there were withdrawals during the tournament I’ve never seen before. Sinner, Moutet, Ruud, Goffin, Wu, Medvedev and Atmane all cancelled during the tournament. Even Zverev complained at the beginning. Taylor Fritz was at the limit — he was dead, at the limit of his strength.”

Becker agreed that the physical demands of the current calendar are pushing even the top athletes to breaking point. “We’re now in mid-October, talking about so many tournaments and obligations that players simply have to perform,” he said. “Many are at the end of their limit — or even beyond it.”

With the Asian swing finally over, attention turns to the European leg of the season — but there’s little time for recovery. “Now the European Swing starts,” Petkovic continued. “Vienna, Basel, then the Masters in Paris. In addition, the Six Kings Slam next week in Riyadh, where the six best players in the world play again. And then the ATP Finals in Turin in mid-November. So the year is not over for the top athletes yet. And for the women, it’s just as long. I’m a little worried that players are physically at their limit — or above it — and just can’t play anymore.”

The conversation turned to the business side of the game, as Petkovic asked how tournaments cope when big names drop out early. “If you’re in the organisation of a tournament and the top players lose,” she said, “then you get ten nervous breakdowns behind the scenes. Because when the stars are there, the TV ratings are higher, the money is higher, the advertising flows. As great as it was that Vacherot and Rinderknech reached the final — how much did the ATP actually enjoy it, or not enjoy it?”

Becker responded candidly. “Of course the ATP isn’t happy,” he admitted. “All the top ten players who pulled out will now get a smaller bonus at the end of the year. For sponsors and fans, it’s not ideal when the big names are missing. Maybe Medvedev and Djokovic in the semifinals saved it, but Rinderknech against Vacherot in the final — I don’t think that was a final with the best ratings.”

However, Becker praised the ATP’s effort to spin the result positively. “It’s up to the ATP media team to sell that story as the tennis story of the year,” he said. “Still, Masters tournaments expect the top ten players not only to sign up but also to play — at least reach the quarterfinals. That’s not always realistic, but that’s the business.”

While Becker acknowledged that fans often prefer seeing the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz in finals, he also embraced the unpredictability of this year’s event. “I don’t want to see Sinner and Alcaraz every week. I want surprises. That’s why I’m happy as a tennis fan about this final — but I don’t know if all fans feel the same.”

Petkovic added that while tennis thrives on underdog stories, the financial gap between players often skews perception. “Often there are players ranked number six in the world — and when they play against Sinner or Alcaraz, they’re called the underdog, even though they’ve earned €35 million a year,” she said. “How much of an underdog are you really with €35 million a year? But now we really had an underdog — someone who doubled his career prize money by reaching the final. And he’s not 15, he’s been on tour for years. These are great stories.”

Still, she noted that behind the scenes, tournaments rely on star power to fill VIP seats and secure sponsorships. “The stadium was full, the atmosphere was great, and the final was exciting,” she said. “But the VIP seats under Roger Federer were two rows completely empty. I don’t think that would happen if Djokovic or Alcaraz were in the final.”

Becker then referenced Novak Djokovic’s comments on player scheduling, agreeing that individuals must take responsibility for their workload. “Djokovic made a very good point,” Becker said. “It’s up to every individual player to make their tournament plan. If you don’t want to play a Masters and then get a smaller bonus in Turin, you can play exhibitions in December to make the money back. Complaining that the calendar is too full is factually wrong — every player decides where and how often they play. No one is forced.”

He praised Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as examples of players who manage their schedules intelligently. “Sinner and Alcaraz don’t play every week,” he said. “Yes, their bonus might be smaller, but their endorsement contracts make up for that. It’s up to each player and their agent to decide — do I play 15 tournaments, 20 or 30? That’s their own decision.”

Petkovic pointed to Taylor Fritz as a player whose packed schedule has backfired. “I always find with him that he plays too much,” she said. “He’s 27 — still young, of course — but he always says he wants to win the US Open. Then he plays Houston, Washington, Montreal, Toronto, Cincinnati — and if he loses early, he goes to freaking Winston-Salem for another 250. Bro, if you play eight tournaments in a row under the hottest conditions of the year and then expect to win the US Open, make it make sense. It won’t work.”

Despite her criticism, Petkovic spoke warmly of Fritz. “I love Taylor Fritz,” she said. “Once you’ve experienced his competitive spirit up close, you can’t help but support him. But I’ve never understood his scheduling. You can’t play eight tournaments in a row and then expect to win two weeks in New York against Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic.”

Becker agreed, adding that Fritz isn’t the only one overplaying. “You can say the same about Casper Ruud and Holger Rune,” he said. “They play every week, even though they’re good enough to reach the later rounds at big events. At some point, they’re physically and mentally exhausted. You can’t be surprised that you’re tired and worn out when you’ve played too much. It doesn’t make sense.”

For Becker and Petkovic, the takeaway is clear: tennis’ marathon calendar isn’t easing up — and unless players take control of their schedules, burnout is inevitable. “Many are at their limit,” Becker warned. “Some even beyond it.”