Former British No 1 Tim Henman has called for changes to the calendar saying the 12-day Masters 1000 is "too much" tennis. World No 1 Jannik Sinner announced he will not be able to return from a knee injury as planned at the China Open next week, having not played since Wimbledon. Carlos Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon with a wrist problem while Britain's Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper are among a number of other players who have been out for lengthy spells in 2026.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Eight of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments across the season are mandatory for most top players along with four ATP 500 events, and the growth of most Masters events to 12 days has been a bone of contention among players. Former world No 4 Henman, who won the Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters in 2003, would like to see changes. "I think it's been pretty well documented that the 12-day Masters 1000s is just too much tennis," said Henman.
"That's too much time on the road and unfortunately we're seeing that with the number of players that are injured. I would definitely bring that to eight or nine days, which would free up the calendar. "That's sort of more of a product change.
I think if I had to make a practical, rule chance, then I would just get rid of the let serve. "Every other shot can hit the top of the net, go over and in, so I would get rid of it and play it as it comes." Alcaraz's run to the US Open quarter-finals was his first tournament since the Barcelona Open back in April after suffering a wrist injury. Speaking in New York, the Spaniard stated: "Honestly, my break was longer than expected.
"Given the packed schedule, I obviously didn't want to stop because of an injury. However, in the future, I will take breaks, longer breaks. Maybe not four months, but one or two months, skipping certain tournaments, because it's impossible to play them all." At the Laver Cup, which was won by Team Europe, Alcaraz said: "I think tennis has changed a lot.
They have changed the balls, the courts, the speed of how we play, the movement is now more aggressive and you have to be prepared. "We need weeks to practice and to make the physical training. There are more important tournaments making us play more and more, so I really want to takes breaks.
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