During her glory days as a professional tennis player, Gabriela Sabatini evolved from a child prodigy to an icon. By her 26th birthday, though, the 1990 US Open champion was burnt out. Among her frustrations was a refrain that has echoed from too many players across the decades: the season was too long. “The only free month was December but because matches start again in January you have only 10 days off then you have to train,” Sabatini said in an interview with the Guardian in 2003.
For decades, the length of the season has put a strain on players and it is one of numerous complaints that have gone unresolved. Players outside the top 100 also still struggle to break even, with inflation devouring the modest prize money on the ITF World Tennis Tour. The calendar is fractured and illogical, failing to minimise travel distances between tournaments along with the sport’s carbon footprint.
