"They just complain in media" - Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek & others criticizing tennis calendar called out by ATP ex-pro

Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and other high-profile names in tennis who have repeatedly criticized the tennis calendar were recently called out, albeit indirectly, by Marcos Baghdatis, the Greek Cypriot former ATP star who reached a career-high ranking of World No. 8 during his playing days. While Baghdatis partly agreed with the calendar's critics, he laid bare his frustrations over their frequent complaints.

The 2006 Australian Open runner-up believes that Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and others' concerns about physical injury and mental and emotional burnout are legitimate considering the yearly tennis schedule, which is widely regarded as one of the most demanding in all of professional sports. Speaking to Tennis365, the four-time career singles titlist said:

"Listen, yes, I really do think it (the schedule) is a problem. I think that it’s been a while that it’s a problem."

Later on in the interview, Marcos Baghdatis cast his mind back to his own playing days and remembered how a primarily player-centric association like the Novak Djokovic-led PTPA was missing in tennis back then.

"You know, in our days, we didn’t have that association, so we could have complained as much as we wanted — nobody heard us," the Greek Cypriot said.

Urging reigning World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, WTA No. 2 Iga Swiatek and other critics of the tennis schedule to collaborate with the PTPA and do everything in their power to make the necessary changes to the calendar, the 40-year-old added:

"But right now, they do have it. And for me, that’s where I don’t understand the players. They have an association that was created by some of the players, like Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, and they have whatever they need to be able to go and negotiate with the tours and the tournaments. But they don’t do it, they only complain through media and interviews and all that. That’s where I find it a bit strange."

"It's in your hands" - Marcos Baghdatis indirectly urges Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek & others to use their positions of power & influence in tennis to improve calendar

Marcos Baghdatis at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships (Source: Getty)

Baghdatis concluded his detailed take on the subject by telling players like Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and others who have repeatedly questioned the tennis schedule to take matters into their own hands. According to the Greek Cypriot, the tours and the Majors will do very little to change the existing calendar.

"For me, yeah, that’s where, whenever a player complains, I tell them: okay, you can change things, guys. I mean, it’s in your hands. It’s not in the hands of the tours or the tournaments, it’s in your hands. So why don’t you do it?," the 40-year-old said.

As far as men's tennis in particular is concerned, things are likely to get even more demanding in the coming years. Very likely from 2028, a new, annual Masters 1000 event will begin in Saudi Arabia, that too in the early part of the tennis season.