Henman: 12-Day Masters 1000 Is 'Too Much Tennis' — SkimNews
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- Tim Henman said the 12-day Masters 1000 format is "too much tennis" and urged reducing it to 8 or 9 days to "free up the calendar," also proposing eliminating the let serve as a practical rule change.
- Carlos Alcaraz, returning after a four-month wrist injury layoff that forced him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon, said the ATP and chairman Andrea Gaudenzi "has to do something" if they want players available for important tournaments.
- Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, announced he will not return from a knee injury at the China Open next week, having not played since Wimbledon.
- Flavio Cobolli said he has been away from home for nearly six weeks and would have played fewer than 10 matches even reaching the final, calling out the extended tournament format rather than match volume.
- Jamie Murray told Sky Sports that younger players will likely need to skip tournaments to extend their careers into their mid-30s, following the Federer-Nadal model.
- Eight of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments are mandatory for most top players along with four ATP 500 events, and the 12-day expansion has been a "bone of contention" across the locker room.
Why it matters: With the world No. 1 sidelined and a reigning Grand Slam champion missing two Slams in a single season, the ATP faces mounting pressure to restructure its calendar — and shortening Masters 1000 events is the most concrete reform proposal on the table.
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