December / January Blog
We are BACK, and 2025 is already in full action mode! (January felt like it would never end... seriously, what was that?!). First and foremost, I hope everyone kicked off the new year well and is feeling energized. Let’s get moving this year. Secondly, welcome back to the blog! I see you. It’s been a while since you last heard of me - so much has happened since then, but also not really. Does that make sense? No? Okay, let’s dive into it, with one specific topic I want to discuss – some critical food for thought.
As you may know, Leandro is currently in his rehab process. By mid-January we were well on track and close to competition level again. Unfortunately, an incident during a practice session, led to another knee surgery, another rehab – another comeback. It’s tough, to say the least. But what do they say? “Builds resilience.” That’s what we are holding onto currently.
Other than that, what’s new? Well, believe it or not, earlier in December, I lifted the national doubles champions trophy with my friend Luca. Who said coaches can’t play? (Okay okay, he carried me to that title. I just know how to pick my doubles partner well – work smart not hard.) Also, I’m thrilled to see Henry Bernet lift the Australian Open Junior trophy. I spent a few days on court with this young gun prior to his departure to Australia. Since Henry stayed at my place during those days, we not only had great practice sessions, but I also let him drive my car as he is currently practicing for his driving license. Let’s just say it’s good that he became a tennis player and not a Formula 1 driver. (I’m kidding, it was not that bad – no one got hurt).
Coming back to our current situation with Leandro. As I’ve been working through Leandro’s recovery process, it’s clear that I’ve found myself reflecting a lot on the topic of injuries in tennis and everything that comes with them. This eventually led me to some food for thought:
In tennis, there is no off-season. Not a proper one. I don’t think any other global sport has competitions for about 48 weeks per year. And I see two big problems with that. Number 1: There is no real time to shut down, relax, or take a break. It’s not just the body that’s affected; the mind never truly switches off because the next event is always around the corner. Number two: There is barely any time for a proper pre-season. Let me be more specific with examples to show what I mean. Céline Naef and Viktorija Golubic played a final at a WTA 125 event on December 15th. The last ATP Challengers wrapped up by November 24th. The NextGen Finals took place from December 18th-22nd. And the United Cup 2025 started on December 27th last year, alongside other competitions. Where is there supposed to be time for a proper recovery from a long season, together with a proper preparation for the new season? Now, I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, I’m just thinking out loud from a different perspective. What if the tour had an official break from November to January. 8 weeks. From ITF Futures to ATP Challengers, to ATP’s or WTA’s events - just any competition where you can earn ranking points. Players would still have 44 weeks of potential non-stop competition. And during those two months break, club matches and exhibition matches could still happen. I’m not saying 8 weeks without a racket but having an official break from competition.
I’m fully aware that having more competition means more opportunities and that players can technically choose their own schedule with some exceptions. But would you feel truly relaxed in your mind when knowing that some competitors stack up ranking points while you’re on the beach. Or would you feel fresh enough to push your body to its limits when your last competition was barely 2 weeks ago after a full season? Personally, I wouldn’t. Or at least not for about 15 consecutive years. Joao Fonseca’s coach Guilherme allowed me to take his player as an example. Joao's last tournament of the 2024 season was until November 17th. The NextGen Finals started on December 18th. His first tournament of the 2025 season started December 31st. Joao is 18 years old. You might say “he chose this.” But is it really that free of a choice? You don’t want too long of a break before the NextGen Finals, and it would be useful to have one outdoor event for preparation before a Grand Slam. Maybe I’m getting lost in this a bit, but I’m just asking myself: Wouldn’t such an “official off-season” be more sustainable? Wouldn’t it help to prevent mental and physical fatigue that eventually leads to injuries? As I said, this is not to call out anyone, to polarize. This is simply food for thought, an evaluation. In the end, it’s all about the longevity of a player’s career. So far, many players seem to share the same perspective as I did. How do you see this?