Starting just two weeks after Wimbledon, the Canadian Open took a hit even before the first ball was struck. A trio of tennis heavyweights, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic, pulled out of the 2025 edition. The ATP calendar has ballooned to nearly 11 months long, with barely a month off between the end of 2024 and the beginning of this season. Players are feeling it, and they’re starting to say it out loud. “If you play every day and you don’t have a break for yourself, to disconnect, that excitement kind of fades,” said Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz isn’t the only one talking. Taylor Fritz has now joined the chorus of voices pushing back against the tour’s relentless pace.
This year’s Canadian Open has reignited the long-running debate around the ATP’s extended Masters 1000 format. Previously, only Indian Wells and Miami had the luxury of being stretched out over more than a week. But since recent changes, seven of the nine Masters 1000 events have shifted to a 10 or 12-day format. Only Monte Carlo and the Paris Indoors still run on the traditional one-week schedule. That change has stirred quite a bit of noise from the locker room. And at the moment, it’s become a key talking point in Toronto.
According to the Puntodebreak, Taylor Fritz spoke candidly about the pros and cons of the Masters expansion. The American said, “There are pros and cons. What I like the most is that there is a day of rest between each game. It is true that in Grand Slams we play five sets and it is necessary, but I think that here playing six games in six or seven days would be excessive. At the same time, it adds weeks of competition. In my opinion, if we played Masters 1000 of a week, we should not add other tournaments, but increase the weeks available for the preseason.”
Taylor Fritz during his third round match Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Day 5, The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, UK – 04 Jul 2025London The All England Lawn Tennis and United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxGRExMLTxCYPxROUxBULxUAExKSAxCHNxDENxINDxITAxPORxESPxSWExTURxMEXxCOLxVENxPERxECUxBRAxARGxCHIxURUxPARxPANxONLY Copyright: xJavierxGarcia/Shutterstockx 15384469fj
His thoughts echo what many players have been feeling. More matches, more travel, more pressure, and less time to actually rest. Alexander Zverev has also weighed in. He didn’t mince words. The German believes the two-week format is eating into recovery time and urged the ATP to “really think about” changing things back.
The Masters calendar isn’t the only thing drawing criticism. A fresh rule introduced in 2025 has added another layer of complexity for top players.
Taylor Fritz gives honest opinion on ATP’s new rule
Starting this year, ATP rules require every top-30 player to compete in at least five ATP 500 events. And those tournaments must fall across three different segments of the calendar. While Monte Carlo is technically a Masters 1000, it still counts toward the 500-level quota.
Taylor Fritz isn’t thrilled with how that’s playing out during the North American summer swing. He’s defending runner-up points at the U.S. Open and finds himself in a tight squeeze, playing Washington, Toronto, and Cincinnati in quick succession. The break he needs just doesn’t exist.
“There’s a new rule that says you have to play a certain number of 500 events or they put a zero on your record,” he said in a press conference. “Because I was injured earlier this year, I missed two 500s, so I had to play in Washington to meet my quota.”
He didn’t stop there. “I’ll be honest, I don’t think it’s the best policy,” the World No.4 added. “A lot of guys are prioritizing the U.S. Open and don’t want to come here, play this tournament, play in Cincinnati, and be exhausted for the U.S. Open. So it’s just a matter of priorities.”
With the Canadian Open underway and players opting out, the conversation around tennis scheduling is louder than ever. What do you think about the tense tennis scheduling?
The post Taylor Fritz Slams ATP’s ‘Excessive’ Scheduling Amid Massive Changes appeared first on EssentiallySports.
