Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur openly pointed out flaws in the ATP’s scheduling following his shocking second-round exit from the 2025 French Open. The ninth seed was surprisingly outfoxed by Alexander Bublik on Thursday, May 29, thus ending the hunt for his first Grand Slam title.
The Aussie spoke candidly in his post-match press conference, criticizing the ATP schedule for offering insufficient rest and recovery time before a new season begins. Several fans reacted to his comments, with many expressing support.
Alex De Minaur Has Fans’ Support After Calling Out ATP Scheduling Woes Following French Open 2R Exit
De Minaur entered the second round after a straight-set win over Laslo Djere on Tuesday. He looked in complete command against Bublik early, taking the first two sets 6-2, 6-2. But as his level dropped, the Kazakh took control, winning the next three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to move into the third round.
Disappointed by the loss, De Minaur expressed frustration with the demanding tour schedule during his post-match French Open press conference. The 26-year-old added that it could consequently shorten the player’s career.
“What’s going to happen is players’ careers are going to get shorter & shorter because they’re just going to burn out mentally,” he said.
He further urged a shorter season to allow proper rest, as he often gets no break between Davis Cup and preseason.
“No one’s got a solution. But the solution is simple… You shorten the schedule, right? What’s not normal is that for the last three, four years, I’ve had two days off after the Davis Cup and I’ve gone straight into preseason, straight into the new season again,” he added.
Alex de Minaur calls to shorten the tennis season, ‘What’s going to happen is players’ careers are going to get shorter & shorter because they’re just going to burn out mentally’
“No one’s got a solution. But the solution is simple… You shorten the schedule, right? What’s not… pic.twitter.com/A0eOj8NH5W
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 29, 2025
Several rallied behind the World No. 9 as his comments surfaced online. One fan stressed that limited rest is unsustainable, pointing to rising injuries, mental fatigue, and other concerns players have repeatedly raised.
“2 days off for the whole damn year is insanity. I feel so many players have been raising similar concerns for so long now and yet it’s still not resolved. They can’t keep up with the schedule physically and mentally hence the injuries, the lack of focus during games, insomnia etc,” they wrote.
2 days off for the whole damn year is insanity. I feel so many players have been raising similar concerns for so long now and yet it’s still not resolved. They can’t keep up with the schedule physically and mentally hence the injuries, the lack of focus during games, insomnia etc https://t.co/ENDqZbsn1x
— sk 🎾🇰🇷🎮👾 (@seolleongtang02) May 29, 2025
“F**k the bonuses for not missing any mandatory events guys, and build your own schedule regardless. there’s no other way 🤷♀️,” another commented.
A fan stated that while F1’s schedule is criticized for being exhausting, tennis is even worse, citing Morgan Riddle’s video as proof. For context, Riddle, the girlfriend of World No. 4 Taylor Fritz, remains with him mostly on tour.
“we always talk about the f1 schedule being too long and unsustainable with the way they fly back and forth to races that aren’t even near each other but somehow the tennis schedule is EVEN WORSE. i always think about this video morgan riddle posted,” they wrote.
we always talk about the f1 schedule being too long and unsustainable with the way they fly back and forth to races that aren’t even near each other but somehow the tennis schedule is EVEN WORSE. i always think about this video morgan riddle posted pic.twitter.com/EjrSWhDIBv https://t.co/Ks45lqILZ5
— 🏎️ (@parisianarchive) May 29, 2025
“Something needs to change its crazy, top players mostly only have 2_7 real days of rest for the whole year,” another chimed in.
A fan reiterated de Minaur’s concerns, emphasizing how lower-ranked players get exhausted before Grand Slams due hectic calendar.
“Agree 100%. Us fans don’t even get a chance to miss it. Every other sports has a pretty clear start and end time… tennis doesn’t have that at all. At all,” another fan agreed with de Minaur’s stance.
“As a tennis fan, I often wonder if players don’t just get fed up with it all. Got my answer. He’s right,” a fan weighed in.
It’s worth noting that several top players, including Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz, and Coco Gauff, have previously voiced concerns about the demanding schedule.
A Look at Alex De Minaur’s Clay-Court Swing Amid His French Open Exit
Alex de Minaur had a decent start to the European clay-court swing, finishing as a semifinalist after falling to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. He carried the momentum in Barcelona, defeating Tomas Etcheverry and Jacob Fearnley before falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
The Australian, however, has struggled to find his rhythm since suffering fourth-round exits in Madrid and Rome, followed by a second-round defeat at the French Open. Thus, the clay-court swing proved to be underwhelming according to De Minaur’s standards. With a 27-10 record this season, he’ll look to bolster those numbers as the grass-court swing approaches.
