American star Coco Gauff has joined the growing calls for a lighter tennis schedule, insisting that the current calendar leaves little room for recovery.
Speaking after advancing to the quarter-finals of the China Open on Tuesday, the 21-year-old said she was already competing at her limit.
“With more tournaments now stretched to two weeks, it doesn’t really make sense to keep putting that stress on the body,” said the world number three. “I’d love to see the tour shorten the season at some point in my career.”
Her comments came a day after Poland’s Iga Swiatek, ranked second in the world, criticised the Women’s Tennis Association’s mandatory participation rules and hinted she might skip some events to safeguard her health.
The debate intensified in Beijing after five players were forced to retire from matches due to injury on Monday.
The volume of fixtures has long been contentious, with men’s players such as Novak Djokovic deliberately scaling back their appearances to preserve longevity.
Under the current WTA system introduced last year, top-ranked players must feature in all four Grand Slams, ten WTA 1000 events including the China Open, and six 500-level tournaments.
“From a business side, it may make sense, but from a player’s health point of view, I don’t agree,” Gauff added. “I’ve basically played as much tennis as I possibly can.”
Swiatek described the WTA’s requirements as “pretty crazy,” echoing Gauff’s concerns.
AFP
