The ATP Tour schedule is far from perfect…
Whether it be the number of tournaments or the duration of tournaments, players are always complaining about something.
And they have every right to do so!
Former top-10 star Diego Schwartzman has delivered his latest verdict on the ATP Tour schedule, highlighting what many players are unhappy with.
Diego Schwartzman speaks out about player ‘dissatisfaction’ with two-week Masters 1000s
During an interview with ‘Clay Tennis‘, Schwartzman was asked for his thoughts on the two-week Masters 1000 events.
“I think players have clearly shown their dissatisfaction with the two-week Masters 1000 events,” he said.
“The calendar has been extended by almost a month because of those extra five days per tournament.
“Obviously, it represents much higher revenue for the tournaments, and the ATP says that in theory, that goes to the players, but it’s a lot of days, and I don’t think it was a great decision.”
In 2026, seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments are two-week events.
That’s up from two, 10 years ago…
2016 Masters 1000 tournaments
| Tournament | Draw | Week(s) | Champion |
| Indian Wells | 96 | 2 | Novak Djokovic |
| Miami Open | 96 | 2 | Novak Djokovic |
| Monte-Carlo Masters | 56 | 1 | Rafael Nadal |
| Madrid Open | 56 | 1 | Novak Djokovic |
| Italian Open | 56 | 1 | Andy Murray |
| Canadian Open | 56 | 1 | Novak Djokovic |
| Cincinnati Open | 56 | 1 | Marin Cilic |
| Shanghai Masters | 56 | 1 | Andy Murray |
| Paris Masters | 56 | 1 | Andy Murray |
2026 Masters 1000 tournaments
| Tournament | Draw | Week(s) | Champion |
| Indian Wells | 96 | 2 | Jannik Sinner |
| Miami Open | 96 | 2 | Jannik Sinner |
| Monte-Carlo Masters | 56 | 1 | TBD |
| Madrid Open | 96 | 2 | TBD |
| Italian Open | 96 | 2 | TBD |
| Canadian Open | 96 | 2 | TBD |
| Cincinnati Open | 96 | 2 | TBD |
| Shanghai Masters | 96 | 2 | TBD |
| Paris Masters | 56 | 1 | TBD |
Schwartzman continued, describing the current calendar as ‘a bit of a mess’.
“I think the calendar needs to be restructured into a shorter one, with fewer tournaments, where priority is given to the Masters 1000 events and the Grand Slams, followed by the 500s and the 250s,” he said.
“It makes some sense, so the calendar becomes more organised, because right now it’s a bit of a mess.
“Even people watching on TV don’t know which tournament they’re watching or how many points each one offers.
“It needs to be organised somehow, and hopefully that can be achieved in the coming years.”
Schwartzman wants a simplified calendar, with fewer tournaments.
Something most players would surely sign up for.
‘People may not know this’ – Diego Schwartzman on the four Grand Slams
“People may not know this, but the Grand Slams have nothing to do with the ATP; they are completely separate,” added Schwartzman.
“The Grand Slams are part of the calendar, but decisions about tournaments and scheduling are made by the ATP; we just observe.
“Obviously, the Grand Slams are the biggest events, with the most prize money and ranking points, so they hold a privileged position in the calendar, but that’s because of the platform they provide to tennis.”
Points distribution (men’s tennis)
| Event | Winner | Finalist | Semi-finalist | Quarter-finalist |
| Grand Slams | 2,000 | 1,300 | 800 | 400 |
| Masters 1000s | 1,000 | 650 | 400 | 200 |
| ATP 500s | 500 | 330 | 200 | 100 |
| ATP 250s | 250 | 165 | 100 | 50 |
“Hopefully, together with the Masters 1000s and some major tournaments, they can create a more structured tour, more centred on the elite of world tennis, where people can watch everything on the same channel or app.
“Not like today, when you don’t know where you’ll be able to follow tennis the next week. That’s something the ATP needs to fix.”
Working with Tennis Australia in a player relations role, Schwartzman is determined to help out wherever he can.
The Argentine retired from tennis last year and is now looking to improve the sport for his former rivals.
Only time will tell if Schwartzman’s suggestions are taken on board, but it will certainly be something to look out for…
