Former players Tim Henman and John Lloyd have urged major changes to the tennis schedule amid rising injuries to top stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Henman told The Guardian that the calendar needs review, arguing less is more. He proposed shortening Masters 1000 events to eight or nine days with built-in breaks from top-level play.
"I'm not a fan of the twelve-day Masters 1000," Henman said. "Physically and psychologically, it's tiring. In my opinion, we should try to shorten the season instead."
The 2026 season has seen 17 withdrawals from the HSBC Championships, mostly due to physical issues. Alcaraz has been sidelined since April with a wrist injury from the Barcelona Open and will miss Wimbledon.
Sinner struggled at the French Open, losing after leading two sets to love against Juan Manuel Cerundolo following dizziness. He underwent tests in Turin and Milan and skipped grass events before Wimbledon.
Lloyd also criticized the calendar in comments to Tennis365, suggesting Grand Slams switch to best-of-three sets for men, at least from the quarterfinals onward.