By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, June 16, 2025
Photo credit: US Open/USTA
Dan Evans doesn’t fear working overtime.
Last August, a gritty Evans won the longest match in US Open history, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4 in five hours and 35 minutes.
The elapsed time eclipsed the previous record by nine minutes.
Prior to his 7-5, 6-2 upset of seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe at Queen’s Club today, Evans told BBC players should be “careful moaning about” the crowded tennis schedule pointing out more tournaments mean more job opportunities for players.
Several stars including Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Alex de Minaur and Casper Ruud have all criticized the crammed calendar this season. Evans said stars should apply some real-world perspective to the tennis world.
“I think first and foremost we’re in a fortunate position, when I hear about the schedule [complaints], these guys don’t have to play every week. You are allowed to not play,” Evans told BBC. “The reason they play is so they pick up their bonus pool.
“We’ve got to be careful moaning about [the schedule], we have a lot of work which is good. There’s lots of people in the world struggling for work, so we have to be careful harping on about the tough schedule. We are allowed to take weeks off, we are independent contractors, so that’s where I stand on it.”
After his early exit from Roland Garros last month, Ruud hit the “rat race” that is the ATP Tour with a parting shot saying the hectic schedule, ranking points at play and financial penalty if you miss a mandatory event compel players to compete even when they’re injured.
“It’s kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings, as well,” Ruud told the media in Paris. “Of course, if my leg is broken, I won’t play. But it’s tough anyways, especially when there’s a time with mandatory events to skip them because the punishments are quite hard, in terms of everyone else will play, gain points, and you won’t.
“Also there’s a certain bonus system set up that is reduced if you don’t show up to the mandatory events. It’s a questionable system because on one hand you don’t want to show up injured, and you maybe give the spot to other one.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but if you don’t play a mandatory event, they cut 25% of your year-end bonus. You’re kind of forcing players to show up injured or sick, or whatever, when that is not what I think is very fair.”
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De Minaur, whose streak of four consecutive major quarterfinals was snapped at Roland Garros, called on the ATP to enact a simple solution or face the consequences: Shorten the season or shorten players careers.
“The solution is you shorten it, because what’s going to happen is players’ careers are going to get shorter and shorter because they’re just going to burn out mentally,” de Minaur said. “There’s just too much tennis.”
World No. “Look, there’s no excuse, again, for today, myself, what happened today. I need to look at myself in the mirror and find out the reasonings, because ultimately this isn’t going to change. It doesn’t look like it’s going to change. I have to adapt and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
