Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens has recently supported Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz in their concerns about the crowded tennis schedule. Both Swiatek and Alcaraz, currently ranked World No. 2 in their respective tours, have spoken out against the limited recovery time between matches on the tour.
Stephens pointed out that one of the hardest parts of being a professional tennis player is feeling forced to play in tournaments even when they aren’t mentally prepared. She explained that players often compete because they need to keep their rankings or meet sponsorship commitments.
I never pushed myself to be like ‘I am going to stick it out for another three weeks just because I need my ranking.’ I feel like a lot of players just do that in general. You are just there because you don’t want to pay the fine, or you’re supposed to be, you entered the tournament and you don’t want to have any more withdrawals. You are like I’m present but mentally I’m not here.
Sloane Stephens said Caroline Garcia’s Tennis Insider Club podcast
This debate about scheduling has been around for a while, but it became a major topic this year. With the added pressure of the Olympics, many players struggled with burnout from playing back-to-back events.
I feel like that is one of the bad things about both tours, ATP and WTA, is that you are forced to play even when you are probably not in the best mental capacity or physical shape, or you might be injured and you just arrive because that’s what you are supposed to do.
Sloane Stephens added
Swiatek and Alcaraz were especially affected. Both had to compete in the Paris Olympics and soon after experienced dips in performance. This even led to early exits at the US Open, where Swiatek also lost her No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka.
Former ATP star blasts the field of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Former ATP player Marc Rosset has criticized the competition surrounding World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. The Swiss former player claimed that the rest of the field needs to do more to present a real challenge.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the 2024 China Open (via X)
Back when Roger Federer dominated the ranking, the top 10 rarely moved. Guys like Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Cilic or Stan Wawrinka were well established. These guys performed regularly in the Grand Slams. A guy in eighth place, if he fulfilled his contract by reaching the quarters, would stay in the top 10. When I look at the current rankings, beyond the top 5, they’re not consistent enough in Grand Slams to make a lasting impression.
Alcaraz and Sinner have been the standout players of 2024, winning all four Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz claimed victory at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, while Sinner won the Australian Open and the US Open.
Taylor Fritz is there for his US Open final. Andrey Rublev plays a lot, but struggles in the Grand Slam tournaments. Casper Ruud is having an average season. And behind him… Tsitsipas, he shines somewhere and gets a second round at Wimbledon, then makes the final elsewhere. It’s too disjointed. Shelton is up and down all season. Tiafoe is the same. Musetti can win a tournament but miss out so often. Auger-Aliassime, we’re not even talking about him, I wonder how he’s still here. These guys can perform, but also lose to second-tier players, you don’t understand why…
Marc Rosset added
However, on the Masters 1000 level, the field has provided some competition. The duo holds a combined total of four Masters 1000 titles out of eight, with the BNP Paribas Masters yet to be played.
The lack of complete dominance at the Masters 1000 level is partly due to their injuries during the clay court season. Both players missed most of these events, as Alcaraz was sidelined with an elbow injury, and Sinner had a hip problem.
Stay Updated!
Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.
Fahad Hamid is a Tennis writer at FirstSportz with more than four years of experience in the sports industry and the IT industry. He has primarily worked in cricket, football, and tennis within the sports sector. In addition to his writing career, Fahad is also a professional tennis player and a partial owner of a tennis academy in Faisalabad, Pakistan. A tennis enthusiast since 2001, he has been actively playing the sport since 2009 and proudly represented his university in the 2018 Intra Tennis Championships held in Lahore. When he's not immersed in the world of sports, Fahad enjoys watching movies.
Follow Us
Fahad Hamid
(673 Articles Published)