The US Open is stretching into a third week, raising fresh concerns among players about an already overcrowded tennis calendar and diminishing recovery time.
The Grand Slam’s singles main draw began on Sunday last year, extending the event, while the qualifying and mixed doubles schedules have also expanded. This year, the first round is being played over three days, with defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz beginning their campaigns Monday.
“I just hope they will not start on Saturday at some point, and then on Friday and on Thursday,” said No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk. “So I hope this is it.” Canadian Denis Shapovalov said players were increasingly unhappy with the longer tournaments and packed seasons. “Everything’s just gotten too long,” he said, noting that an extra day between matches does not necessarily constitute genuine rest because players still have to practise and remain focused on competition.
The issue extends beyond Grand Slams. Masters 1000 tournaments have expanded to 10 days, leaving players struggling to adjust to the schedule. Tommy Paul joked that the Montreal final seemed to be held on a Wednesday rather than a weekend.