Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek have complained about their busy schedules (Image: GETTY)
, and other players have been branded ‘soft and spoiled’ for complaining about the tight nature of the tennis calendar.
A number of and stars have criticised the schedule over the last few months, with Alcaraz and Swiatek among those to hit out at the congested fixture list.
Other players have pointed the finger at things like balls, surfaces and umpires, leading Anastasia Potapova to issue a reminder of the privileged position they find themselves in.
“I think that some players have become too soft and spoiled,” she told Russian journalist .
Anastasia Potapova has urged players to put things into perspective before complaining (Image: GETTY)
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“There are things that make the tour more difficult, but on the other hand, I also had moments when I wasn’t happy with my life when I felt like I couldn’t stay on tour anymore.
“But then you remember where you started and you’re like: ‘Yeah, my life is wonderful’. I think sometimes you forget where you came from. We really live in our own world and it really is tough at times, but any professional sport is tough.
“It requires a lot of work, sacrifice, it’s a lot of pressure. Both mental and physical, it’s tough, but that’s not the worst life a person can have.
“I think at some point you need to know how to stop, look around you, and remember how things used to be, see how things are now and what they could be in the future, and simply thank destiny for where you are now.”
During last year’s Laver Cup, Alcaraz suggested the packed schedule and playing conditions were responsible for causing a lot of injuries.
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: “I’m the kind of player who thinks there is a lot of tournaments during the year, mandatory tournaments and probably during the next few years gonna be even more tournaments, more mandatory tournaments.
“They are going to kill us in some way. Right now they are showing up a lot of injuries because of the ball, because of the calendar, because of a lot of things.”
Swiatek, meanwhile, described the congested calendar as ‘scary’ and took aim at WTA bosses during the Cincinnati Open in August.
“Our calendar is crazy, probably the toughest one in sports,” she claimed. “There are sports that are really tough because, physically, you might get beat up, but most sports have four months off, sometimes even six.
“Our schedule is crazy, and it’s getting more crazy every year, which is scary. You just have to train wisely.”