The tennis schedules have been a hot topic of discussion throughout 2025, with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek frequently expressing concerns.
Swiatek has called the schedule ‘overwhelming’ while Alcaraz has said players have been ‘misunderstood’ in regards to criticism related to participation in exhibition events.
Recently, Jack Draper expressed his concerns regarding the schedule on X [Twitter], to which world number four Taylor Fritz responded in agreement.
However, some have previously pushed back on the schedule complaints, including British tennis player Liam Broady, who dismissed concerns about the schedule.
Another star of the British tennis scene has weighed in on the issue, expressing his opinion on social media.
Mark Petchey says player complaints are a ‘turn-off’
Mark Petchey, the former coach of British number one Emma Raducanu, did not hold back on X when discussing recent player complaints.
On X [Twitter], Petchey said: “Players/team members firebombing their own tour publicly is a bad, if not suicidal, commercial strategy. People that love tennis will watch tennis.
“People who don’t love tennis won’t watch a sport where multi-millionaires moan. It’s a turn-off. Most would happily embrace the grind that is currently being torched.
“You can’t grow the sport by dropping grenades in the press. Sinner missed three months of the tour. Four Masters events and is two in the race.
“You have a choice how much you want to play in reality. You just lose a share in the bonus pools. You aren’t forced to do anything when you look at it like that.”
Responding to a fan, Petchey added: “[A] bunch of players and some support/family have spoken out about the schedule.
“This was my take after it seemed like the bandwagon was freewheeling downwind with no brakes.”
Most recently, Aneke Rune – the mother of Holger Rune – hit out at the scheduling after her son’s serious injury at the Stockholm Open.
In an interview with BT, she said ‘unrealistic pressure is being exerted on the players.’
She added that there are too many mandatory tournaments, concluding that players do not have enough time to rest during the season.
Ivan Ljubicic and Magnus Norman agree with Mark Petchey
Ivan Ljubicic and Magnus Norman, two extremely experienced coaches, have expressed their support for Petchey’s sentiments on X.
Ljubicic is a former world number three in singles, while Norman is the former coach of Stan Wawrinka. Wawrinka won 13 ATP Tour titles while working with Norman, including three Grand Slams.
Replying to Petchey’s post, Ljubicic – the former coach of Roger Federer – issued a two-word response: “Spot on.”
Meanwhile, Norman – the former coach of Kei Nishikori – responded with two clapping emojis.
