Following Wimbledon, Canadian Open saw an early setback due to the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic – reflecting an exhausting eleven month ATP schedule that requires constant commitment across disciplines and locations. Taylor Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz voiced concerns regarding its physical and mental toll.
At the Cincinnati Open in challenging conditions, Carlos Alcaraz displayed exceptional talent by notching 50 wins for 2018. Not only was this victory enough to put Alcaraz ahead in tour leader standings but it extended his streak at Masters 1000 events from 13 consecutive victories! Nevertheless, Alcaraz expressed concerns regarding its relentless tournament schedule.
Alcaraz shared insights into the tough realities of professional tennis, admitting that many times players don’t feel at their best but have to remain positive and perform their best regardless. This outlook provides a glimpse into the resilience required at the highest levels of the sport.
The demanding ATP schedule has been a topic of discussion among players, with Taylor Fritz recently commenting on the challenges posed by new rules requiring participation in a certain number of 500 events, which he believes adds to the already intense competition calendar.
Last year, changes to the ATP calendar saw seven of the nine Masters 1000 events expand to 12-day tournaments. Additionally, the 2025 season saw Dallas, Doha, and Munich upgraded from ATP 250 to 500, increasing the total number of tournaments and adding to the global tennis circuit’s demands.
Alcaraz displayed both strategic depth and physical resilience against Hamad Medjedovic in their match, overcoming early challenges to secure victory and underscoring his exceptional skill and adaptability in taking his winning streak further into competition as well as providing insight into pressures faced by top athletes competing at tennis.
Alcaraz will continue his campaign for another Masters 1000 title at Cincinnati by facing off with Luca Nardi next. While competition heats up on court, attention also remains focused on discussions surrounding sustainability of today’s tennis schedule and whether its pace of play should continue or decrease.