Remember when former World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz said, “They’re going to kill us,” about the grueling ATP calendar last year during the Laver Cup? That feeling is still shared by many players. Casper Ruud, who recently lost at the French Open due to injury, believes this is a major issue in the ATP. He called the ranking system a “rat race,” saying players “feel you’re obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events.” But does everyone agree?
On Wednesday, May 28, Ruud’s early French Open exit reignited the debate over player workload and ATP mandatory event rules. The Norwegian, runner-up in Paris in 2022 and 2023, was knocked out in the second round by Portugal’s Nuno Borges while struggling with a persistent left knee injury. In his press conference, Ruud said, “It’s a questionable system because on one hand you don’t want to show up injured, and you maybe give the spot to other one. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but if you me don’t play a mandatory event, they cut 25% of your year-end bonus.”
According to the ATP Tour website, players must compete in 19 events, with the Nitto ATP Finals as a 20th event for singles rankings. For top players, this includes one Nitto ATP Finals, four Grand Slams, eight mandatory Masters 1000 tournaments, and seven best other events like the ATP Cup, Monte Carlo Masters, ATP 500, ATP 250, Challenger, or ITF tournaments.
Casper’s comments sparked a response from Japanese player Yoshihito Nishioka, who retired from his first-round match against Alexei Popyrin on Monday. He wrote, “This is what I post on my YouTube channel. I have shoulder injury since Feb and I really wanted to skip Rome but I didn’t wanna get punishment so I wasn’t ready but I played and stayed only 4 days in Rome. 11 months on season is crazy off course we get injury.”
This is what I post on my YouTube channel. I have shoulder injury since Feb and I really wanted to skip Rome but I didn’t wanna get punishment so I wasn’t ready but I played and stayed only 4 days in Rome. 11 months on season is crazy off course we get injury. https://t.co/Hco299jvvK
— YOSHIHITO NISHIOKA (@yoshihitotennis) May 29, 2025
Yoshihito Nishioka often shares his tour life and tutorials on his YouTube channel ‘yoshischannel4190’ in Japanese. In his latest video, he opened up about his shoulder injury, first sustained before his Delray Beach campaign after the Davis Cup. Despite the pain, he tried to play but had to retire from most matches due to the severity.
Nishioka retired in the Dallas Open quarterfinals against Ruud, withdrew from Delray Beach’s round of 16, skipped Indian Wells entirely, returned to Miami only to retire in the first round, and had his Madrid match canceled. He played a tough straight-set loss in Rome before the French Open. It’s been a rough stretch for the 29-year-old.
Last year at the US Open, Yoshihito was forced to pull out of his match against Miomir Kecmanovic after collapsing to the ground. He could be seen receiving treatment from medics after becoming unwell during the fifth set of their match. He was eventually taken away in a wheelchair after being forced to retire from the match, giving Kecmanovic the victory.
Nishioka later sent a message out on social media apologising for making his fans feel worried and explained why he suddenly felt unable to continue. “Thank you for all your support. I apologise for worrying you. I was already feeling cramps around the 33rd point of the 4th set, and I was already cramping when I served at 5-4,” Nishioka wrote on X. “In the final [set], my waist started to spasm more than my legs, and I couldn’t stand up. Then my legs started to spasm too. Then my shoulder blades, both hips, sides, and thighs started to spasm repeatedly.”
Currently ranked No. 77, Yoshihito reached a career-high No. 24 in 2023. With just three titles—Atlanta (2024), Seoul (2022), and Shenzhen (2018)—he still has a long road ahead. Will injury derail his 2025 season? Only time will tell. However, coming back to Ruud’s comment on the tour, he isn’t the only one with this mindset.
After his loss, Alex de Minaur also echoed these sentiments. Calling out the tennis federation for the schedule of the matches.
Aussies reiterates Casper Ruud’s sentiments on tour schedule
De Minaur has stepped up alongside Casper Ruud and Jordan Thompson to call out the relentless tennis calendar. After a surprising second-round exit at the French Open—where he lost after leading by two sets against Alexander Bublik—the Australian world No. 9 pointed to fatigue as the culprit. “Look, I’m just tired. I’m tired mentally. I’m a little bit burnt out, if anything. A lot of tennis being played,” he said after the 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 loss. De Minaur slammed the punishing schedule and called it “ridiculous” that players get penalised for missing tournaments. He worries players might burn out and retire early if nothing changes.
He backed Ruud’s take on the grueling schedule, especially with mandatory events stretching over two weeks. “I mean, no one’s got a solution. But the solution is simple: you shorten the schedule, right?” De Minaur explained. He described how his breaks have disappeared in recent years. “For the last three, four years I’ve had two days off after Davis Cup, and I’ve gone straight into pre-season, straight into the new season again.” He added, “Once you start, you don’t finish until November 24th, right? So it’s just never-ending. That’s the sheer fact of it.”
So, there it is—three ATP stars and many others are speaking out about the brutal schedule. WTA players have voiced similar concerns. Will the tour listen and make changes anytime soon? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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