“It’s a joke”: Jordan Thompson joins criticism of demanding tennis schedule

Several players have voiced their concerns about the excessive number of mandatory tournaments, including Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Świątek. The world No. 26 had a strong debut in the first round of the Brisbane International, defeating 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini (No. 34) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round, where he will face young American Alex Michelsen (No. 41).

Thompson was asked in his post-match press conference about the short off-season break. The calendar officially ended on November 24 with the Davis Cup Finals, which included players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Alex de Minaur. Berrettini and Thompson were also part of the event.

Thompson voices frustrations about tennis season length

With only five weeks between the end of the season and the start of the next one at the United Cup, tennis is one of the sports with the shortest off-season. Players typically take one or two weeks off before returning to pre-season training for the upcoming year.

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Many players have shared their frustrations in the media, and now Thompson has voiced his concerns about the hectic schedule. “Feels like it. Feels like two seconds (smiling),” he said.

"Yeah, it's a tricky one, especially for us Aussies. We practically leave after the Australian Open and don’t come back until the Davis Cup is finished. The season’s that long. We come back at the end of November. Yeah, we’re away for 10, 11 months. It feels like literally we get three weeks off if you play Davis Cup. That’s great. Then they push for an earlier start."

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In 2024, Thompson played a total of 25 tournaments, finishing with a 35-24 record. The Australian was among the 30 players who completed at least 55 matches in the 11-month season, traveling to tournaments worldwide. “I don’t know how the ’25 season starts in ’24. I mean, it’s a joke,” he said.

“We should be playing next week. There are a lot of things in our sport that need a bit of cleaning up at the moment,” Thompson concluded.

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