World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz said he plans to take more breaks from the tennis tour, warning that the packed calendar is contributing to player injuries and fatigue.
The Spaniard returned to action at the U.S. Open after a lengthy layoff caused by a wrist injury he sustained in April. After beating Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday, Alcaraz said the demands of the schedule make it difficult for players to compete in every major event without risking burnout.
“I took more time off than I wanted, but seeing how tight the calendar is, I don’t want to take a break because of an injury,” Alcaraz told reporters.
“In the future, I’m going to take some long breaks. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”
Since 2025, seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events have been expanded to 12 days, with only Monte Carlo and Paris retaining their traditional one-week formats.
