The Brisbane International commenced on January 4, 2026, with fourth seed Tommy Paul arriving at the Queensland Tennis Centre as he looks to launch his 2026 season following a difficult campaign cut short by injury. The American returned to competition after several months away from the tour, having dealt with a foot injury that forced him to conclude his season early after the US Open.
During his press conference ahead of his opening match, Paul addressed questions about the ATP schedule that have sparked debate throughout the professional tennis community.
Tommy Paul Expresses His Thoughts on the ATP Schedule
During the press conference at the Queensland Tennis Centre, a journalist asked Paul about the potential timing of the new Saudi Masters and whether having fewer tournaments across certain regions might benefit players. Paul responded candidly about what he genuinely thinks regarding bigger tournaments and their actual impact on professional athletes.
While acknowledging that players universally prefer bigger tournaments because of their prestige and prize money, he quickly addressed what he views as a significant misconception shared by many observers.
“A lot of people think the two-week, ten-day events are easier on us, but it’s not,” Paul explained. “Yeah, I know what you mean, we’re playing less tournaments, but we’re playing the same amount of time. Not too much changes.”
Paul’s point represented straightforward reasoning based on his experience as a professional competitor on the ATP Tour. Even though the calendar now features fewer tournaments, players are still committing roughly the same number of days and weeks to travel and competition throughout the season.
In Paul’s perspective, based on his direct experience with these changes, the overall grind and physical demand on the body remain substantially unchanged year to year.
How Does the Extended ATP Schedule Look?
The ATP expanded seven of its nine Masters 1000 tournaments to run for twelve days instead of the traditional one-week format as part of the ATP’s plan to grow the sport and increase profitability.
The tournaments now operating under the twelve-day format include Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Madrid, Shanghai, the National Bank Open in Canada, and the Cincinnati Open. Tournament draws were expanded from 56 players to 96, allowing more athletes to compete in these prestigious Masters events.
The challenge Paul and other top players have identified is that longer tournaments do not necessarily translate into better conditions or recovery time. Players must still grind through multiple matches in succession, remain in tournament mode for two weeks, and prepare for the next event with minimal rest between competitions.
Paul’s performance at the Adelaide International in early 2025 demonstrates why this scheduling issue matters. He arrived as the top seed and reached the semifinals before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime with a final score of 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. Before his foot injury derailed his season, Paul had compiled solid performances by reaching the quarterfinals at both the Australian Open and French Open.
Now back in Brisbane as the fourth seed, his focus remains on rebuilding momentum ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, where he previously reached the semifinals in 2023.
