'A Lot Of Tennis...Never-Ending': De Minaur Echoes Ruud's Criticism Of Grueling Tennis Schedule

Alex de Minaur echoed the concerns of his compatriot Casper Ruud regarding the relentless tennis schedule after losing a two-set lead in his second-round match against Alexander Bublik at the French Open on Thursday.

The Australian appeared to be in control, leading Bublik by two sets and seemingly on his way to the third round. However, De Minaur’s fortunes changed swiftly, resulting in a 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 loss and an exit from Roland Garros.

Reflecting on the match, De Minaur admitted it was a disappointing performance and felt he contributed to his own defeat more than Bublik’s win.

“Obviously not a good day at the office. It was one of those matches that just slipped away without much meaning. Just not a good day," he said during his press conference.

De Minaur emphasized that he usually wins such matches, acknowledging Bublik’s dangerous play but highlighting his own two-set advantage.

“Not to take credit from Bublik, he’s extremely dangerous, but I was also two sets to love up. This is a match I win 99.9% of the time. Today was just an odd occasion that it slipped away."

De Minaur attributed his defeat to fatigue and burnout, expressing his need for a shorter calendar to prevent such instances. “I’m just tired. I’m tired mentally. I’m a little bit burnt out, if anything. A lot of tennis is being played," he said.

De Minaur’s views align with those of Casper Ruud, the two-time French Open runner-up who criticized the ATP’s ranking system after his own second-round loss on Wednesday.

Ruud, who struggled with a knee issue, compared the competition to “a rat race" that forces players to compete with injuries.

De Minaur, who missed three Masters 1000 events due to injury last year and took only two days off after the Davis Cup in November, described the schedule as “never-ending."

He suggested a simple solution: “You shorten the schedule, because otherwise, players’ careers will get shorter and shorter due to mental burnout. There’s just too much tennis."