Carlos Alcaraz’s latest remarks at the US Open have added fresh weight to the ongoing debate over tennis scheduling, with the Spaniard hinting that a more selective calendar may soon become part of his own approach.

After his second-round win over Jaime Faria, Alcaraz was direct about the toll of the sport’s demands. “In the future, I’m going to take some breaks,” said the Spaniard after his second round victory against Jaime Faria. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”

That view is easier to understand given his own recent interruption, as he was sidelined for four and a half months after a wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April. Still, the implication of his comments reaches beyond one player’s season management and could influence others at the top of the game.

Jannik Sinner has already appeared to take a similar path, particularly during the grass-court swing, where he played only Wimbledon. Now Aryna Sabalenka has also signaled openness to a lighter load.

Sabalenka was asked about Alcaraz’s comments after her third-round win over Kamilla Rakhimova at the US Open, and the world No 1 made her position clear.

“I would love to see changes to the calendar and eliminate the mandatory events to let the players decide what’s best for their health,” said the world No 1.

“It’s been incredibly intense. Especially if you play at the level Carlos plays, which is basically very consistent, it’s very hard on the body.

“If they’re not going to reduce it, we’ll have to sacrifice points, ranking position, whatever it takes, to protect our bodies. I think it would be really helpful for the WTA and ATP to relax the calendar a bit for us in order to truly support our health.”

Sabalenka has already shown in 2026 that a more measured schedule can pay off. She skipped the Middle Eastern swing and did not compete between the Australian Open and the Sunshine Double, then captured both Indian Wells and the Miami Open.

Those are two of the three titles she has won this year. By contrast, a heavier stretch on clay and grass brought early defeats, including a round-of-32 loss to Sorana Cirstea at the Italian Open and a round-of-16 exit to Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon, her earliest loss there since 2019.

Carlos Alcaraz has sparked discussion after saying he may trim back his tournament schedule after the US Open. The Spaniard has already been absent from four and a half months of ATP Tour action after suffering a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open, and his current run in New York marks his first singles appearance since that setback.

So far, the US Open has asked few questions of him. He has moved through the draw with wins over Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria, and Wu Yibing, dropping only one set along the way.

Following his second-round victory over Faria, Alcaraz explained that he plans to be more selective with the events he enters, with the aim of avoiding injury and limiting fatigue.

“In the future, I’m going to take some breaks,” said Alcaraz in his post-match press conference. “Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”

That remark has led John Isner and Sam Querrey to speculate about which events could disappear from Alcaraz’s calendar in the years ahead. Speaking on Nothing Major, Isner suggested one tournament in particular may no longer be a regular stop for the Spaniard.

“I think he might have a point. A tournament like Canada might not ever see Alcaraz again. He has proven that time off does not really hurt him, and when he’s healthy, he is going to be able to train fully.

Querrey then expanded on the idea, pointing to a reduced schedule that would still prioritise the biggest events.

“Totally,” the American agreed. “If you’re him, you are going to play the majors, but Indian Wells and Miami. Just play Indian Wells. Toronto and Cincy, just play Cincy [the Cincinnati Open].

“If you’re playing Rome and Madrid, just pick one. Maybe go to Asia every other year. I wonder if Jannik Sinner feels like that as well. Yeah, put your money where your mouth is. Just don’t play.”

Alcaraz has collected every Masters title except the Canadian Open, the Paris Masters, and the Shanghai Masters. Even so, he has not played the Canadian Open in the past two years, and the Miami Open could also be among the first Masters tournaments left off his schedule after recent results there. He exited Miami in the second round in 2025 and was beaten by Sebastian Korda in the third round this year.

For now, the one certainty is that he will continue to feature at the four Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

Nick Kyrgios’ one-month suspension after a positive cocaine test has reopened questions about consistency in anti-doping cases, particularly after the Australian previously criticized Jannik Sinner’s handling of his own failed test.

Kyrgios revealed on social media last month that he had been suspended after a sample taken at the Mallorca Open on 22 June showed benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite. He was provisionally suspended on 4 August, but is now eligible to return after the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted his account that he used the drug at a nightclub in Magaluf on 20 June.

The agency said the substance had been used outside competition. Because Kyrgios entered a treatment programme, the matter was reduced from the three-month ban that would otherwise have applied.

That outcome has now prompted comment from fellow Australian Omar Jasika, who said he is a friend of Kyrgios. In an Instagram post, the 29-year-old reflected on his own two-year ban from 2018 to 2020 for testing positive for cocaine.

Jasika, who reached a former world ranking of 177, said the Coronavirus pandemic meant he effectively lost four years of his career because he was kept out of the game for much of the following 24 months. He stressed that Kyrgios should not have received a longer suspension, but said he wanted the “same help and understanding” that he did not receive.

He said on social media, “In 2018, I received a two-year ban after testing positive for the same substance. I accepted responsibility for my actions and served every day of that suspension. Because COVID arrived shortly after I became ineligible to return, I effectively lost almost four years of my career during some of the most important years of my life.

“Today, the rules have changed. A player in a similar situation can receive a one-month ban by entering an approved treatment program. I’m not saying Nick should have received a longer ban. I don’t believe that at all. I’m saying I wish the same help and understanding had been available to me.

“I made a mistake and deserved consequences, but losing two years of my career was incredibly difficult. At the time, I wasn’t offered treatment or a clear pathway back. I was simply removed from the sport and left to deal with everything that came with it.

“I’m glad the system has changed and now focuses more on helping players, but it’s hard not to wonder how different my life and career might have been if those same options existed for me. This isn’t me against Nick. It’s me asking whether the punishment I received was fair, and whether people affected by the old rules deserve to have their cases looked at again.”

Compatriot Max Purcell, serving an 18-month suspension for a prohibited method linked to intravenous vitamin infusion, reacted with a raising hands emoji.

Online, some users called the Kyrgios case ironic, arguing that he has now benefited from the kind of “preferential treatment” he accused Sinner of receiving. Sinner’s 2024 doping case ended with a three-month suspension after it was determined he had accidentally ingested clostebol through a first aid spray, a resolution that drew heavy criticism, with Kyrgios among the loudest voices.

In December 2024, Kyrgios said it was “disgusting for our sport” that Sinner and Iga Swiatek had been caught in doping breaches. He also said Sinner had been “protected to some degree” by the short ban. That criticism is now being turned back on Kyrgios.