Sloane Stephens backs Alcaraz and Swiatek in criticism of ATP and WTA Calendar

The 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens supports Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, joining in the criticism of the ATP and WTA calendar. Over the past year, this issue has gained traction as top players from both Tours have voiced concerns about the schedule’s impact on injuries.

One significant change in recent years has been extending WTA 1000 and Masters 1000 tournaments to two weeks. Tournaments like the Rome Open, Madrid, Cincinnati Open, and Canadian Open will now last two weeks, unlike the classic one-week format. However, Indian Wells and the Miami Open have traditionally hosted larger draws for some time.

Sloane Stephens joins stars in calling for Changes

The recent ATP calendar update for 2025 shows 7 out of the 9 Masters 1000 events will now run for two weeks, with draws expanding to 96 players. Only the Monte-Carlo Masters and Paris Masters will remain one-week events, while the others will be extended. For the WTA, seven of the ten WTA 1000 events, including Beijing, Cincinnati, and Canada, will be held over two weeks.

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Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz have been vocal critics of these changes, and now another Grand Slam champion has joined them. Former World No. 3 Sloane Stephens shared her thoughts on Caroline Garcia’s podcast Tennis Insider Club, discussing the injury risks posed by the demanding calendar. “I never pushed myself to be like ‘I am going to stick it out for another three weeks just because I need my ranking.’ I feel like a lot of players just do that in general,” she said.

“You are just there because you don’t want to pay the fine, or you’re supposed to be; you entered the tournament, and you don’t want to have any more withdrawals. You’re present, but mentally you’re not there.

“I feel like one of the problems with both Tours, ATP and WTA, is that you are forced to play even when you are probably not in the best mental state or physical shape. Or you might be injured, and you just show up because that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Sloane Stephens won the 2017 US Open against Madison Keys.

A player who competes in every Masters 1000 and Grand Slam faces at least 24 weeks of potential competition. Adding in smaller ATP/WTA 500 events can easily push that number over 30 weeks of intense play. Taking into account the occasional rest weeks between events (such as after a strong Grand Slam performance), the schedule extends to nearly 11 months for most players.

In fact, players face fines if they don’t meet the required number of events each season, with point penalties also in play. Last season, Iga Swiatek lost the World No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka early due to such a penalty.

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Swiatek and Alcaraz highlight injury risks

The 5-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek has been one of the most outspoken critics of the calendar. “Our calendar is crazy, probably the toughest one in sports,” the Pole said in August. “Some sports are really tough physically and can wear you down, but most sports get four months off, sometimes even six.”

Swiatek competed in 12 tournaments throughout the season, finishing with a 54-7 record and five titles. This is despite skipping three WTA 1000 tournaments, including Montreal, the China Open, and the Wuhan Open. “Our schedule is crazy, and it’s getting crazier every year, which is scary. You just have to train wisely.”

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On a similar note, 4-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz shared Swiatek’s views, saying: “I’m the kind of player who thinks there are too many tournaments during the year, too many mandatory tournaments, and probably in the coming years there will be even more, more mandatory tournaments. So, I mean, they’re probably going to kill us in some way” (smiling).