The ATP Tour have been given a big wake-up call after what’s happened to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz recently
The Asian swing is firmly underway for both sets of players participating on the ATP and WTA Tours.
Amanda Anisimova showcased mutual respect for Linda Noskova after winning the latest WTA 1000 event in China, and she is the in form player right now.
Both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz won titles in China and Japan, respectively, last week, and they were originally scheduled to meet in Shanghai.
However, Alcaraz picked up an injury in Japan and decided to withdraw from the event, whilst Jannik Sinner retired with cramp against Tallon Griekspoor on Sunday.
Although the vast majority of players enjoy the Asian swing, there is a real problem that is emerging from the events this year, and it would appear that things need to be corrected.
Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images
The ATP have been given a big wake-up call this week
Although there have been some incidents of players taking breaks and curtailing their years on the WTA Tour, it’s the ATP Tour that has been given the biggest wake-up call, given the events over in Shanghai.
Daria Kasatkina is the latest to pull out of the rest of the 2025 events on the WTA and right now on the ATP Tour, players are seriously struggling with the gruelling conditions in Shanghai.
The temperatures are close to 40 degrees most days, and with constant humidity in the area, it’s making it seriously difficult for players to keep producing their best tennis.
Novak Djokovic admitted he was struggling to breathe in his most recent match, and this tournament has seen a wave of withdrawals, retirements and players looking worryingly exhausted because of the heat on the court.
The time for change is right now, and although the schedule is largely set in stone for next season, there has to be some sort of compromise given the lack of player welfare that the tour appears to be showing with such a jam-packed schedule.
Number of players suffering at Shanghai Masters is alarming
Maybe it’s time for the players to take a stand and choose not to keep playing in Shanghai, given the severity of the heat and the unwillingness of the ATP to allow extra breaks to allow recovery.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is the latest to pull out of the tournament in Shanghai and he must now weigh up what tournaments to take part in for the remainder of the campaign.
WithdrawalsRetirementsInjury ConcernsCarlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, Stefanos TsitsipasJannik Sinner, Tomas Machac, Casper Ruud, David Goffin, Hamad Medjedovic, Terence Atmane, Wu YibingTaylor Fritz, Holger Rune, Alexander Zverev
It’s just not healthy to have an ATP 1000 event when the weather is so warm and also after other events in Japan and China have taken place so close to the Shanghai event.
It’s often viewed as negative when players bemoan the number of tournaments that they need to play, but maybe this year’s Shanghai predicament will finally give the ATP the nudge it’s needed for a while to start streamlining the schedule.
