The 2025 tennis season appears to have begun almost immediately following the conclusion of 2024, reflecting the nature of a sport where the off-season is hardly a break for athletes. Indeed, the new season commenced even while the calendar still indicated 2024.
“I definitely wish the off-season was longer, 100%,” remarked Coco Gauff, champion of the U.S. Open in 2023. She started her “year” by contributing to the American team’s victory at the United Cup in Sydney, which kicked off over a week prior on December 27. Gauff expressed acceptance of the situation, stating, “But it is what it is.”
As the Australian Open prepares to kick off on Sunday morning in Melbourne, many players have utilized various events for practice and preparation, following a period of training that varied in length among them. “I wouldn’t say there is even an offseason anymore,” commented Denis Shapovalov, a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2021. “The season is never-ending.”
Officially, the previous season ended on December 22, marked by Brazil’s João Fonseca clinching the ATP Next Gen Finals in Saudi Arabia, after which he quickly returned to the court to compete in a Challenger Tour event in Canberra, Australia, achieving another victory.
The situation in tennis is similar to that of golf, where the season operates in a largely continuous manner without the extended breaks typically seen in team sports.
Conchita Martinez, a former player and 1994 Wimbledon champion now coaching young talent Mirra Andreeva, highlights a need for a longer off-season to protect players’ health. “To be healthy, you at least need a two-month offseason,” she stated, advocating for finishing the season earlier. “For the health of the tour and players, perhaps it should be a bit shorter.”
Despite ongoing conversations about this issue, substantial changes have yet to occur, and concerns seem to be escalating. In the initial week of the current season, there were two instances where players, Naomi Osaka in Auckland and Reilly Opelka in Brisbane, halted their participation due to injury worries, likely influenced by the looming Grand Slam tournament.
To mitigate these challenges, athletes strive to find moments of rest before ramping up their preparation for the upcoming competitions. “I had 1½ weeks that I didn’t touch the tennis racket. I just threw it in my room. I didn’t want to see it again,” joked four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, appreciating the importance of disconnecting for a brief moment.
Although many players showcase their vacations on social media, especially to beautiful locations like the Maldives, they also use this time for training and improvements. Jasmine Paolini, who was the runner-up in both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, noted the necessity of transitioning back to rigorous training swiftly despite limited time. “You take a bit of a break. But you need to get right back on the court and in the gym to get ready for Australia,” she stated.
Ben Shelton, who reached the quarterfinals at both the Australian Open and U.S. Open in previous years, focused on enhancing his return game over the break. After representing the United States at the Davis Cup in late November and engaging in an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden in early December, he returned to his training base in Orlando, Florida, to prepare for the January events. Unlike many peers, he opted out of competing in the opening week of 2025, choosing instead to join an event in Auckland this week prior to heading to Melbourne.
Shelton remarked about his state of readiness, “Oh, I’m six weeks off; I’m not really ‘match tough’ right now.” Some spectators question the participation in exhibition matches, but players express that such events do not exert the same strain as continuous tournament play. Engaging in exhibitions also allows players a chance to earn additional income.
Players highlight that regardless of how much rest they manage to obtain in November or December, the constraints during the rest of the year leave little room for proper downtime. “Ideally we’d have a little bit more time. It’s such a short turnaround after such a long season. There’s not enough days to recover,” shared Alexei Popyrin, an Australian notable for upsetting Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open last year. “Taking time off to let your body rest might hinder the preparation, but at the end of the day, you need your body to be ready. The schedule is just so hectic throughout the year.”
