"Elina Svitolina simply could not go on. Her hopeful start to the 2025 season had given way to despair as the mental and emotional strain of constant competition, travelling and stress left its mark. The 31-year-old understood that competing would only make things worse and, in September, Svitolina decided to prematurely end her season, citing burnout. The world No 14 is not alone in feeling suffocated by her sport."
"This has been another year filled with incredible performances and gripping matches, but the past 11 months have also been defined by the physical and mental ailments endured by many of the sport's stars. Jack Draper, Zheng Qinwen, Holger Rune and Arthur Fils have been forced off the court owing to significant long-term injuries. Others, such as Ons Jabeur (who has subsequently announced she is pregnant), Daria Kasatkina and Svitolina, felt they had no choice but to step away because of their mental struggles."
"Being a prominent tennis player comes with significant privilege and wealth, but their challenges are undeniable. Injuries are part of elite sport, where athletes continually push their bodies past their limits in pursuit of success, but many believe that tennis has not done enough to protect its athletes. In recent months, the growing list of absences from the tour has reinvigorated discussion surrounding an old topic: the sport's long and punishing calendar."
The 31-year-old Elina Svitolina ended her 2025 season early in September, citing burnout after mental and emotional strain from continuous competition, travelling and stress. Multiple leading players suffered major setbacks: Jack Draper, Zheng Qinwen, Holger Rune and Arthur Fils faced significant long-term injuries, while Ons Jabeur, Daria Kasatkina and Svitolina stepped away because of mental struggles (Jabeur later announced a pregnancy). The elite tennis calendar remains long and punishing, with an off-season this year of only five weeks and four days (24 November to 1 January) and an approximately ten-and-a-half-month competitive season. Many believe tennis has not done enough to protect its athletes, and past reform attempts have struggled amid fractured governance involving seven official bodies, including the men's Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Read at www.theguardian.com
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