Jack Draper recently referenced Carlos Alcaraz’s remark about the ATP’s hectic calendar, specifically his “they’re going to kill us” comment, which the Spaniard made last year while criticizing the demanding ATP schedule.
In addition to Draper and Alcaraz, players such as Iga Świątek, Taylor Fritz, and Madison Keys have also criticized the tennis calendar for being overly demanding, causing player fatigue and resulting in several injuries.
Jack Draper Makes His Feelings Known on ATP’s Demanding Schedule
During a recent episode of “The Tennis Podcast,” Draper mentioned that while he feels strongly about the demanding schedule, he does not want to “bash” the ATP. He stated that the organization inspired him when he was young, and the tour managers and staff have always been incredibly supportive, often checking in on players when they are injured.
The former World No. 4 acknowledged that there are specific issues players are unhappy with, which he believes the governing bodies need to address.
“I’m not going to bash the ATP in any way because I feel like the ATP inspired me so much growing up. The tour managers and the staff are all incredibly kind and nice, and they check up on you when you’re injured. However, there are some issues that players aren’t happy with. I think the intention was really good with the Masters 1000s and making it 12 days, increasing the revenue for the events and giving back to the players,” Draper said.
Draper pointed out that over 20 days have been added to an already “packed schedule,” making players more susceptible to fatigue and injuries. He also revealed that if a player has to sit out of a tournament due to injury, they face “punishment” in the form of reduced bonuses from the bonus pool.
“They’ve added an extra 21 days onto an already really packed schedule. There are more requirements for players. There’s more punishment. If a player were to go out and have a really bad injury somehow, there’s no protection. I won’t get any of one-half of the bonus pool. I’ll get a performance bonus pool, but in actual reality, it’s not incredible. It’s really difficult for a player to manage, especially in a sport that’s quite lonely,” he continued.
According to Draper, Alcaraz’s comment about the demanding ATP schedule potentially “killing” players is not just about the physicality of the sport, but also reflects the extensive commitment players are making to the game. The also Brit stated that players need to take action, come forward, and discuss the challenging playing calendar with ATP leaders to seek potential solutions.
“I saw Alcaraz say, ‘I think they’re going to kill us in some way.’ I think people get confused because it’s not necessarily about the physicality of the sport. It’s about just how much players are putting into sport. I think it’s now up to the players to stop talking about it all the time and actually take some action, come forward, speak about it, speak to the heads of the ATP, speak to the organizations, and really come to some solutions here,” Draper added.
Draper, along with Fritz, had criticized the ATP schedule and its impact on player health after Holger Rune suffered a complete rupture of his Achilles tendon at the 2025 Stockholm Open, which prematurely ended his season.
Draper’s second half of the 2025 tennis season was marred by injuries. After sustaining a left arm injury during Wimbledon, he missed nearly all the tournaments of the North American hard court swing, apart from the US Open.
At the New York Major, the former World No. 4 defeated Federico Agustín Gómez in the first round but withdrew ahead of his second-round match against Zizou Bergs due to his arm injury. This injury ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
