Over the last few months, players have been loud and clear about one thing: the tour. With the grueling nature of the schedule facing constant scrutiny and outcry from players including Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz, looks like the ATP tour is finally ready to pay heed.

“The ATP Board of Directors approved the permanent adoption of scheduling measures trialed during the 2024 & 2025 seasons to reduce # of late-night finishes,” tennis insider Parsa reported on X. “These measures have already delivered a notable reduction in matches concluding after midnight—from 50 in ’24 to 39 in ’25.”

But what does that actually mean? Shared stats and charts tell the story.

Under the new framework, tournaments face stricter rules:

• No match can start after 11 p.m. local time.
• The latest evening session begins at 7:30 p.m.
• If a match isn’t on court by 10:30 p.m., it must shift to another court.
• Events can’t schedule more than five matches per court per day, starting at 11 am.
• The working group to keep refining its approach to meet the “overarching aim”.

This new system is expected to result in in fewer late-night marathons, smoother scheduling, streamlined MSP review and approval, and better alignment with WTA standards. Encouraged by the outcome, the ATP Board now plans to make these changes permanent in the rulebook.

This will definitely be a relief for players who have been vocal about the hectic tour, odd timings, and the never-ending flow of tournaments all year.

Alcaraz definitely didn’t mince words earlier this year when he said, “I think that the schedule is really tight. They have to do something with the schedule.”

Fritz chimed in too, adding, “Facts, also seeing more injuries and burnout now than ever before because balls, courts, conditions have slowed down a lot, making the weekly grind even more physically demanding and tough on the body.”

Just to give you some perspective on how physically demanding the schedule can be: The season begins in January with tournaments in Australia and New Zealand. This follows a trip to the United States in late February to March, with players then moving to Europe for clashes at Halle, Madrid and Monte Carlo in mid-spring. And if that’s not enough, the tour then moves to North America, followed by the US Open. After the last of the four annual Grand Slams concludes, players then fly to Asia.

Clearly, it’s an extremely busy schedule, but if you add top players being required to participate in eight out of nine Masters 1000 tournaments, a minimum of four high-level ATP 500 tournaments, it’s understandle why players have been complaining.

On the other hand, Alcaraz, who has been at the forefront of calling out the ATP tour schedule for being hectic, also came under fire for partaking in exhibitions during the off-season.

Carlos Alcaraz responds to critics over exhibition participation

After his loss at the ATP Finals Alcaraz skipped out on the Davis Cup Finals due to injury. While it wasn’t an easy decision, he didn’t want to risk his health ahead of the 2026 season. However, the Spaniard jumped back onto the court for two U.S. exhibitions: One in Newark on December 7 and another in Miami the very next day. Fans were quick to question why Carlos Alcaraz would dive into friendly matches after recently complaining about a jam-packed ATP calendar. But he didn’t hold back.

“First of all, it’s normal for people to think this way and not understand why we complain about the busy schedule and then participate in exhibition matches,” he told the Associated Press when asked about the criticism.

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The 22-year-old explained that exhibitions are a whole different world compared to the intensity of the ATP Tour. To him, “the biggest difference is that in a tournament you have to stay focused and it is expensive both from a physical and mental point of view. A performance is only one day.” In other words, those playful one-offs don’t drain him like a week-long grind.

That easygoing vibe showed during The Racquet at The Rock exhibition alongside Frances Tiafoe, Jessica Pegula, and Amanda Anisimova. Alcaraz looked completely at ease, laughing his way through the night. He lost his singles match to Tiafoe, then Carlos teamed up with Pegula for mixed doubles full of hilarious and lighthearted moments. He joked, he danced, he entertained.

With no points on the line or rankings to defend, the 22-year-old could just play worry-free. And that carefree stretch might be exactly what he needs before the season ramps up again. Because the next time he steps onto court, the stakes skyrocket. The Australian Open begins January 12, and Carlos Alcaraz is chasing the one prize missing from his resume: his maiden title in Melbourne that marks a Career Grand Slam. Can he pull it off?