By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 16, 2025
Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty
Extreme conditions can create health risks for players on the professional circuit.
Now, some stars are calling on the ATP to enact changes and protect players’ health.
Speaking of reporter Nicholas Albek of the Action Network at this week’s Stockholm Open, Matteo Berrettini, Casper Ruud and Holger Rune each identified an issue that could create problems for players. All three stars called on the ATP to take action. Read on Nicholas Albek’s full Action Network interview here.
Citing the extreme heat players faced during the recent Asian outing, Berrettini said the Tour should emulate the Grand Slams and adopt an extreme heat policy to protect players.
Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini said the Asian swing called for “conditions I’ve never experienced before”.
“Most people don’t realize how different it is with 5 degrees less or more. I have to say that in this Asian swing, I’ve experienced some conditions that I’ve never experienced before,” Berrettini told Nicholas Albek. “Hangzhou was even warmer than Shanghai, but the tournament was smaller, so no one noticed, but it was really, really warm. The first few days I couldn’t even believe it. Luckily, they had a roof there and it was raining a lot, so they could close the roof.”
“But when the conditions are that extreme, we have to do something like they did at the Slams, you know about a heat rule or something like that. You don’t want players to get hurt or struggle like that because at the end of the season, health comes first. But the show also means something, and if players don’t feel well and retire, that’s not good. You don’t want that.”
“I’m sure they (ATP) will take care of it, but now I have to focus on the closed games.”
Holger Rune agreed with Berrettini who pointed out that conditions at the Rolex Shanghai Masters featured sweltering conditions with over 80 percent humidity that left most players dripping with sweat, while some, like Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic, vomited on court.
“” I think there should be a heat rule like there is in the Grand Slam. I think every player would agree on that,” Rune said. “I think it was like 31 degrees and a lot of humidity. But compared to other days it was pretty brutal.
“So I think there should be some kind of rule. We can handle a certain amount of heat because, you know, we’re fit, we’re strong, we’re mentally strong, but there’s always a limit. I think it’s also important to take care of your health. We have to survive.”
In Stockholm, Rune told Nicholas Albek that the long season can be debilitating for some players. Rune said that while some, including Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev, have talked about slower court conditions in recent weeks, he believes slower and heavier tennis balls are actually a bigger issue for players, who can struggle to finish points.
“The schedule is obviously long, I won’t hide that, but we can choose whether we want to play or not. If you do well, you can go through a few tournaments.” Rune said to Nikolas Albek. “The only thing I’m not so happy about is that more ATP 500 tournaments have become mandatory. I think that’s a bit unnecessary.”
“But I don’t think there are players who don’t want to play all the Masters 1000 or Grand Slam tournaments. If you don’t want to play the 250 or 50 tournaments, then you can just skip them, although it has become a little more difficult with the mandatory 500 tournaments. The season is long, but I also remember these amazing tournaments, being grateful that we achieved our dream.”
“I actually think it’s more the balls than the pitches that have gotten slower. I’m sure something has changed since the pandemic. The materials on the balls have changed. I’ve talked to a lot of current and former players about that as well.”
Extending the ATP Masters 1000 events to two weeks can take a physical and financial toll on players. Casper Ruudas former ATP Players Council president Djokovic opposes extending the Masters 1000 tournament to two weeks.
Two-time French Open finalist Ruud suggested that a compromise solution may not be imminent because “at the end of the day, the ATP crawls one way and we crawl the other.”
“Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of two-week Masters. It’s also a matter of more travel and more time away from home. I think Monte Carlo and Paris are pretty good examples of how fast and intense a Masters 1000 can be and that it can be fun.”
“I remember we had Khachanov – Medvedev in the first round of Monte Carlo. You won’t see that in the first round anywhere else except maybe Paris. I’m a tennis fan and from that point of view, because I watch a lot of tennis as a fan, it’s a lot more fun when it’s more intense with good first-round matches.”
“But that’s a theory and their plan is that it can grow the game, and for our revenue in terms of prizes and all that stuff. I can understand the vision, but not many players, including myself, have been fans of it so far.”
“But if you lose the first or second round of Indian Wells and we have Miami for two weeks, it’s only two weeks of living expenses, food and wages for your team. So, of course, if you can play those two tournaments in three weeks instead of four, there’s less expense.”
“But you know, we get compensated with a new set of bonuses and profit sharing, but it also requires you to play. It’s kind of a given. At the end of the day, the ATP crawls one way and we crawl the other. There are good things and bad things. It just feels longer than it should.”
