Carlos Alcaraz believes the relentless tennis program is “going in the wrong direction” and thinks players are being “pushed” to play in too many tournaments.
The world No.3, who will play his opening match at the Shanghai Masters on Saturday, was speaking two days after successfully defending the Japan Open for his third title in an injury-hit year that saw him miss four-and-a-half months between April and August with a wrist problem.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner announced this week that he has ended his season early due to a knee problem.
Alcaraz said: “One of the reasons we had to see players getting injured, they (ATP officials) are pushing us too far out of line sometimes to play a lot of tournaments, to play a lot of matches.
“It’s going in the wrong direction.
“I wish Janik the best for these months, just to be in good shape for the next season.
“Hopefully we’ll see it soon, but they need to see a bit of what’s going on in the tournament with the players.”
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Highlights of Alcaraz’s win over Jiri Lehecka in the Japan Open final
Djokovic: The sinner must think long term
Sinner has not played since defeating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final in July.
Novak Djokovic, who won his 102nd career title at the China Open on Tuesday, said of the Italian’s anticipation of his 2026 season: “He’s been the best player in the world, he’s been a dominant force for the last two years along with Carlos (Alcaraz).
“Tennis certainly misses him, but at the same time he has to think long-term.
“It’s smart because as someone who always tried to have the big picture in my mind, I really support that kind of thinking and mindset.
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Sinner took to social media to let fans know his season is over as he looks to recover from a knee problem
“It’s important to give yourself more years in your career so you have a better chance of accomplishing all of your goals.
“If you’re away from the tournament for that long and then you make a comeback, you have to deal with more things than you normally have to deal with. You’re constantly evaluating with your team.
“When you get the green light to be able to compete, that’s when it’s mental. You’re on the field and you’re thinking, ‘Am I really fully recovered and free to do this run?’
“For him, if it’s a knee, it affects everything, affecting every single movement.”
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