{"id":2186039,"date":"2026-10-08T17:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T14:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2186039"},"modified":"2026-10-08T17:00:51","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T14:00:51","slug":"carlos-alcaraz-is-right-about-tennis-going-in-the-wrong-direction-but-wrong-about-jannik-sinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2186039","title":{"rendered":"Carlos Alcaraz is right about tennis going in the &#8216;wrong direction&#8217; &#8211; but wrong about Jannik Sinner"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Carlos Alcaraz is right about tennis going in the \u2018wrong direction\u2019 \u2013 but wrong about Jannik Sinner<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-x-3 gap-y-1 md:gap-x-4 flex-wrap items-center\">\n                        <span class=\"ps-authors flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-1.5 max-w-full gap-y-0.5 text-sm font-normal text-author\"><span class=\"ps-author-item whitespace-nowrap\"><a class=\"ps-author text-sm font-normal !text-author\" rel=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/richie-mills\">Richie Mills<\/a><\/span><\/span>                        <time class=\"flex-shrink-0 text-sm font-normal text-info\" datetime=\"08 Oct 2026 6:00 PM\" data-ps-date=\"08 Oct 2026 6:00 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1791478851\"><br \/>\n                            08 Oct 2026 6:00 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block 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href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fcarlos-alcaraz-right-tennis-wrong-direction-wrong-jannik-sinner\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Carlos Alcaraz is right about tennis going in the \u2018wrong direction\u2019 \u2013 but wrong about Jannik Sinner\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3FNPJY6-1-1-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Carlos Alcaraz at the Laver Cup, as Jannik Sinner slips at Wimbledon\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Carlos Alcaraz has spoken about the tennis calendar and Jannik Sinner&#8217;s injury                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/carlos-alcaraz\">Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> is once again banging the drum that the tennis calendar is too demanding and long.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of competing at the Shanghai Masters, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/carlos-alcaraz\">Alcaraz<\/a> stated that the sport\u2019s busy schedule is going in the \u201cwrong direction\u201d and players are being \u201cpushed\u201d to play in too many tournaments.<\/p>\n<p>He said, via <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/tennis\/news\/13596476\/carlos-alcaraz-says-tennis-schedule-going-in-wrong-direction-players-pushed-too-much-as-jannik-sinner-ends-season-early\" target=\"_blank\">Sky Sports<\/a>, \u201cOne of the reasons we had to see the players who are getting injured, they [ATP officials] are pushing us too much out of the line sometimes to play a lot of tournaments, to play a lot of matches.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s getting in the wrong direction. I just wish Jannik [Sinner] the best for these months, just to be in good shape for the next season. Hopefully see him soon, but they have to see a little bit what\u2019s going on on the tour along with the players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The seven-time major winner certainly has a point. What other sport sees its stars end their season in November, before restarting in late December\/early January? Tennis players get a preciously short off-season in a game that is getting increasingly physical.<\/p>\n<h2>More Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-speaks-jannik-sinner-injury-shanghai-masters\">Novak Djokovic gets honest on Jannik Sinner\u2019s season-ending injury and reveals if he will \u2018reach out\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/carlos-alcaraz-fitness-update-shanghai-masters\">Carlos Alcaraz offers fitness update ahead of first match at the Shanghai Masters<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In May 2025, Casper Ruud criticised the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/atp-tour\">ATP<\/a>\u2018s ranking system, likening it to a \u201crat race\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The Norwegian, who was suffering with a knee injury at the time, said, \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings as well. You feel you\u2019re obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, eight of the nine Masters 1000 events are mandatory, along with four 500 tournaments. Plus, these competitions are now played over the best part of a fortnight, rather than a week \u2013 which speaks to Alcaraz\u2019s initial point.<\/p>\n<p>However, it could be argued that Alcaraz is insinuating that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jannik-sinner\">Jannik Sinner<\/a>\u2018s injury \u2013 which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/jannik-sinner-2026-season-over-injury-update\">ruled him out until 2027<\/a> \u2013 is down to the relentless tennis schedule. But looking at his 2026 season, that does not seem to be the case.<\/p>\n<p>This year, Sinner did not play a lead-up event to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/australian-open\">Australian Open<\/a>. Just over two weeks after his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic there, he was defeated by Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals in Doha in mid-February.<\/p>\n<p>Just over two weeks later, he began his title-winning campaign at Indian Wells and then completed the Sunshine Double in Miami in what was a busy March.<\/p>\n<p>Admittedly, this kicked off an exhausting, but historic, stretch of Masters 1000 success, with Sinner winning all three of the big lead-up events on clay before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/french-open\">French Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Italian wilted in the French capital in late May before not playing again until the end of June at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/wimbledon\">Wimbledon<\/a>, where he defended his title. It is not yet fully known when he picked up the knee injury that would end his season but nine tournaments between January and July is not a huge amount.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/us-open\">US Open<\/a> champion Alexander Zverev is all set for his 20th tournament of the year and has currently played 73 times, winning 58 of them. If the German picked up an injury, the point about a gruelling schedule would carry more weight.<\/p>\n<p>But Alcaraz wasn\u2019t alluding to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/alexander-zverev\">Zverev<\/a>. The Spaniard himself had four months out due to a wrist injury earlier this year. There is a chance that the five tournaments he played in 2026, in addition to the 16 he competed in last year, led to his injury surfacing in April.<\/p>\n<p>Tennis\u2019 calendar does need reforming. Players need a longer off season and they shouldn\u2019t need to play in so many mandatory tournaments. On the flip side, tournament organisers have to protect their own interests as well. There generally isn\u2019t enough joined up thinking between figureheads in the sport.<\/p>\n<p>In 2025, Sinner played 64 times over the course of 12 tournaments. He reached the final in 10 of those but many others played a lot more than the world No 1.<\/p>\n<p>This year, Sinner posted a record of 44-3 before his knee injury. So while one part of Alcaraz\u2019s argument makes sense, the part about Sinner doesn\u2019t hold much water.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/carlos-alcaraz-jannik-sinner-2027-event-australian-open\">Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner sign up for 2027 event just before the Australian Open<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Carlos Alcaraz is right about tennis going in the \u2018wrong direction\u2019 \u2013 but wrong about Jannik Sinner Richie Mills 08 Oct 2026 6:00 PM Carlos Alcaraz has spoken about the tennis calendar and Jannik Sinner&#8217;s injury Carlos Alcaraz is once again banging the drum that the tennis calendar is too demanding and long. Ahead of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2186039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2186039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2186039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2186039\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2186039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2186039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2186039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}