Frequent Player Injuries Raise Concerns; Draper and Fritz Call for Tennis Tournament Reforms

Lately, the men's tennis circuit has seen a rising number of player injuries, attracting significant concern from insiders. Leading players such as Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz have appealed to tennis officials to revise event arrangements and related conditions to protect players’ long-term career viability.

The catalyst for this debate was Holger Rune’s serious injury. During the Stockholm Open semifinal on Saturday, Rune was forced to retire against Ugo Humbert due to injury and later tearfully confirmed a complete rupture of his Achilles tendon. Similarly, later that evening in the Riyadh Six Kings Slam exhibition match for third place, Novak Djokovic withdrew after losing a grueling first set to Fritz due to injury.

In fact, player injuries and physical exhaustion have long been prominent issues on the ATP tour. Since the start of the Asian swing, this problem has become even more evident. Earlier this month at the Shanghai Masters, seven players had to withdraw mid-tournament; world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz was among the 13 players who pulled out before the event began. Draper, currently ranked ninth globally, has also been affected, having to quit the US Open at the end of August due to a bruised humerus, prematurely ending his 2025 season.

Following the withdrawals of Rune and Djokovic, Draper was the first to speak out on social media, directly criticizing the unreasonable scheduling. The 23-year-old British player stated that while injuries are somewhat unavoidable in elite sports, players are being pushed to their physical limits. He emphasized that with many talented young players on tour, the tournament organizers must revise the tour format and calendar to enable longer careers.

Draper’s viewpoint was echoed by world No.4 Fritz. The 27-year-old American added that changes in playing conditions are also a key factor in the rise of injuries. He noted that today's tennis, courts, and match conditions are slower than before, which increases weekly physical demands and intensifies players’ fatigue, leading to more frequent injuries and burnout than in the past.

It is worth noting that criticism of the tournament schedule is not isolated; Alcaraz is among the players who have spoken out in recent months. The six-time Grand Slam champion expressed during last month’s Japan Open that the current schedule is too congested, with too many mandatory events held consecutively, and urgently needs reform.

With multiple top players calling for change, reforming the tennis event system has become an urgent issue in the industry. Finding a balance between maintaining tournament quality and protecting player health poses a significant challenge for tennis administrators.

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