Alex de Minaur Offers Insightful Solution to the ATP Tour to Protect Players From Burnout

Alex de Minaur joins a handful of players and former stars criticizing the tennis schedule on the ATP Tour.

Alex de Minaur Offers Insightful Solution to the ATP Tour to Protect Players From Burnout

Alex de Minaur (Image via X/The Tennis Podcast)

Alex de Minaur has added his voice to growing concerns about the demanding nature of the ATP Tour schedule. He warned that the packed calendar is putting players at risk of early retirement due to both physical and mental exhaustion.

His remarks followed his second-round loss at Roland Garros, where he admitted mental fatigue played a major role. On the same day, fellow Australian Adam Walton also struggled with a shoulder injury during his match against Andrey Rublev. De Minaur said in his post-match press conference at Roland Garros:

The solution is you shorten [the tour], because what’s going to happen is players’ careers are going to get shorter and shorter because they’re just going to burn out mentally. There’s just too much tennis.

De Minaur’s criticism echoes similar frustrations expressed by Jordan Thompson earlier in the week. Thompson, battling multiple injuries this season, slammed the ATP schedule and blamed it for worsening player health.

Casper Ruud also spoke out after his loss to Nuno Borges. The Norwegian compared the current ranking system to a relentless race, saying players feel forced to compete while injured just to keep their standings.

Alex de Minaur suffers Roland Garros exit

Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur saw his French Open journey come to an end after a five-set loss to Alexander Bublik. The ninth seed started strong but couldn’t hold on as the match slipped away in the later sets. Bublik advanced to the third round with a comeback victory, winning 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur (via the tennis letter)

De Minaur controlled the opening two sets with dominant baseline play. Bublik appeared frustrated and struggled to find rhythm, offering little resistance. For the first hour, the Australian looked poised to seal a straight-sets win.

However, the match turned in the third set. Bublik began playing with more freedom and aggression. His powerful strokes broke through De Minaur’s defense, shifting momentum and allowing him to take the next three sets.

This loss comes despite De Minaur’s consistent performances in recent Grand Slams. He had reached the quarter-finals in each of the last four majors. His early exit adds to a day of upsets, following losses for Casper Ruud, Jakub Mensik, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Alex de Minaur disappointed by his exit

World No.9 Alex de Minaur pointed to mental fatigue as a key factor in his early departure from Roland Garros. The Australian acknowledged the toll of a demanding schedule and said that he would discuss ways to manage it better with his team:

It’s one of those matches that slip away without really knowing how. Definitely not a good day for me. Look, mentally I’m tired, I’d say a bit burnt out from all the tennis I’ve played so far this year…I’ll have to have a tough conversation with my team to analyze properly what happened today and identify the reason.

Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz
Alex de Minaur (via X)

Alexander Bublik staged an impressive comeback to defeat the ninth seed. After dropping the first two sets, he rallied to win in five. The Kazakh described it as one of the best matches of his career. Bublik will now face Portugal’s Henrique Rocha in the next round. Rocha also came back from two sets down to beat Jakub Mensik, showcasing resilience and strong form.

Rocha’s win means he joins Nuno Borges in the third round. It marks a historic moment for Portuguese tennis, with two men reaching the last 32 of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka Relishes the Spotlight of ‘Large Stadiums’ After Progressing to the Roland Garros Third Round