Alexander Zverev labels ATP calendar as 'impossible' for players

The likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have even complained, with both men suggesting the new two-week format for Masters events is a bad idea.

Alexander Zverev was another who complained about the two-week format of Masters events, but he also listed other issues he has with the current schedule.

Speaking on Nothing Major in 2025, Zverev took aim at the ATP Tour schedule, including the amount of mandatory tournaments players are required to play and the two-week Masters format.

Seven of the nine Masters events on the ATP Tour calendar were changed to a two-week format from the 2025 season, with just the Paris Masters and the Monte Carlo Masters remaining one-week long.

Asked if he would like to cut down the amount of tournaments he plays by hosts Sam Querrey, John Isner, and Steve Johnson, he responded: "The thing is I would love to. But with how the ATP has done the tournament nowadays, it's impossible to. How are you going to do that?

"You have the nine Masters 1000 events, which are mandatory. Most of them are two week long events nowadays, except Monte Carlo and Paris Bercy, which I think are the best two weeks nowadays because you've kind of in and out."

Zverev said he preferred the one-week format of Paris and Monte Carlo and he believes fans are more in favour of them too.

"I think for a fan and for every tennis player, like, Paris Bercy was awesome last year. I won it, which was even more awesome for me, he said.  "You kind of get there, you play your five matches, and you get out of there.

"You don't have to stick around. You don't have to practice in between matches. You don't have to do all those things. That's how Masters events used to be. I think all the players loved it."

Zverev also suggested the ATP Tour were wrong for increasing the amount of mandatory ATP 500 events players are expected to play across the calendar year.

"Now the ATP has made four mandatory 500 events for you to play, which used to be three, now it's four. You don't really get under 20 events except if you are pulling out of those big events.

"I'm not a fan of where this is going because if you take Alex de Minaur for example last year, he played his last match at Davis Cup November 25th, and played the first match at United Cup this year December 27th.

"So you have a month off-season. How are you going to take two weeks off? How are you going to prepare your body for a new season? How are you going to train enough for tennis?"

Nearly a year after Zverev lodged his complaints about the ATP Tour, not a single of his issues have been changed.

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