TENNIS: WTA forms special council to overhaul congested calendar amid player concerns

The WTA has launched a new Tour Architecture Council to recommend sweeping changes to women's tennis, WTA chair Valerie Camillo announced Tuesday amid growing concerns over the sustainability of the current calendar for players.

World number five Jessica Pegula will chair the council, which aims to deliver actionable recommendations that could be implemented as early as 2027, Camillo said.

The council was established after feedback from across the tour, following a series of withdrawals at the Dubai Tennis Championships due to workload concerns and injuries.

"There has been a clear sentiment across the Tour that the current calendar does not feel sustainable for players," Camillo wrote in a letter to players and tournament partners. "It's important we take a fresh, collaborative look at how to best preserve the high-quality competition that builds value for tournaments."

The council will initially focus on areas where the WTA has direct authority to make changes, while also identifying long-term opportunities requiring broader coordination across the sport. It includes players, leaders from premier tournaments, WTA senior leadership, and experts in tour operations and calendar planning.

Seven lucky losers advanced in Dubai following the withdrawals, with world number four Coco Gauff citing burnout as a growing concern.

"For this point in the schedule, it's hard to play all the tournaments now that they're two weeks," Gauff told reporters. "The ask of players is becoming more and more and more." -Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters