De Minaur, Ruud Call for Shorter Tennis Season Post-French Open Losses

PARIS, France — Australian tennis player Alex De Minaur expressed his fatigue after a second-round loss at the French Open on Thursday, May 29, 2025, and advocated for a shorter tennis season. De Minaur’s defeat against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik brought his tournament to an abrupt end, prompting him to speak about the toll of the current schedule on players’ mental and physical health.

“I’m tired mentally, a little bit burnt out, if anything. A lot of tennis is being played,” De Minaur said after the match, which ended with scores of 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. He highlighted the intense demands of the tour, which he believes leads to players experiencing burnout.

De Minaur isn’t alone in his sentiments. Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist, who exited the tournament shortly before De Minaur, described the ATP’s ranking system as a “rat race.” Ruud emphasized the pressure players face to participate in mandatory events despite being injured, risking both their health and career longevity.

“You feel like you lose a lot if you don’t show up and play,” Ruud explained. “If you miss a mandatory event, they cut 25 percent of your year-end bonus.” He underscored that this system forces athletes to compete even when they are not at their best.

Both players called for reforms to make the tennis schedule more manageable. “The solution is simple: you shorten the schedule, right?” De Minaur suggested, warning that if changes aren’t made, athletes will continue to suffer the consequences.

The growing consensus among players reflects a pressing need for the tennis community to rethink its calendar to prevent detrimental impacts on athletes’ well-being.