Despite being retired from the game for years, tennis legend Chris Evert is a strong advocate for her sport. Evert is not afraid to share her opinion about important issues. Most recently, she supported World No. 1 Iga Swiatek’s opinion about changes needed to the tennis season.
The current tennis season is 11 months long, with tournaments happening week-after-week in different locations. Practice, travel, and rest must fit into the schedule. Chris Evert and Iga Swiatek believe insufficient time for rest is factored in for the players.
The Tennis Player’s Life
Iga Swiatek described herself as feeling like a hamster on a wheel preparing, playing, traveling, and practicing practically nonstop all year. Some believe that she could solve her problem by playing less. That is not allowed. Swiatek is required by the WTA to play specific tournaments spread throughout the year.
Realistically, the only vacation top players get is if they lose a tournament in the early rounds. That can damage their ranking which puts them in a deeper hole in future tournaments. First-round byes which some top players enjoy will go away when ranking drops, and there may be occasions where qualifying matches need to be played.
Mental and Physical Health Should Be Prioritized
Chris Evert agrees with Iga Swiatek. She believes the WTA Tour is much more competitive now. Evert admitted that in her era, the top players could typically sail through the early rounds of tournaments. They could conserve mental and physical energy for the latter rounds.
Evert says that is no longer the case. Top players have difficult matches from their opening rounds. The mental and physical toll catches up to them. Chris Evert also said that an Olympic year is especially stressful.
It is worth noting that the tennis season does not stop (like the WNBA and other sports) when the Olympic competition happens. Tennis players did not receive ranking points for the Paris Olympics. They may choose to compete at the Olympics but sacrifice ranking points because they are not playing the regular tournament schedule.
Top Players Have Shown the Stress
Early retirements, and prolonged breaks from the tour for mental health issues, injuries, and illnesses have become part of the norm in professional tennis. Many were shocked when World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty abruptly retired in 2022 when she was 25 years old. Barty explained that she accomplished everything she wanted to in the game and looked forward to a life beyond.
Amanda Anisimova and Naomi Osaka spoke openly about their mental health issues. Anisimova took a prolonged break from the tour to attend college and regroup. Osaka spoke out about her mental fitness for both the game and the press/outside requirements tennis players must fulfill.
Injuries should not be discounted. Though they are always part of professional sports, tennis players face unique circumstances contributing to injuries. They play on different surfaces with different balls in varying climates from tournament to tournament. Some talk about how the court plays faster or slower from a previous tournament. Winning shots in last week’s tournament may not work at the next one.
Illnesses happen too. Elena Rybakina had to withdraw from the French Open in 2023 after advancing to the third round. That illness prevented her from adequately preparing for Wimbledon where she was the defending champion. Rybakina has been ill on other occasions on the WTA Tour. Though it was out of her control, she dealt with the consequences of lost points and a diminished ranking.
Tennis Is a Business
Everyone knows tennis is a profit-making business boosting revenue for the WTA and tournament cities. At some point, the business has to protect its best performers from burnout. That means the WTA should be genuinely concerned about former and current World No. 1 players, Chris Evert and Iga Swiatek, publicly asking for changes. Those changes could mean sacrificing tournaments or loosening requirements for players who opt not to play in tournaments. It could also mean penalizing players less when they choose to prioritize mental health and rest.
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