John McEnroe has never been one to hold back his opinions on the landscape of tennis.
McEnroe made a claim about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner following their five hour and 29 minute Roland Garros final.
These claims have had a big reaction, with even three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray responding to McEnroe.
Now McEnroe has called for some changes to be made to one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year, the Australian Open.
John McEnroe calls for big change to the tennis calendar and Australian Open
There has been a lot of criticism of the tennis calendar over the past year, with even Alcaraz calling out the ATP Tour.
While it feels like a very current issue, McEnroe has now revealed that the amount of tennis played is something that dates back to his era.
When speaking to Italian news outlet Corriere Della Sera, McEnroe suggested that the Australian Open should be scheduled to later in the year to give players more of an off-season.
“It’s a controversy that dates back to my time…” said McEnroe. “The Australian Open used to be played at Christmas, one of the reasons I didn’t go to Melbourne.
“Of course there is too much playing! We should postpone Australia and give these poor guys more off-season. The idea of giving three weeks between Paris and Wimbledon is good. And the Davis: I was keen on it, now I don’t care.
“But everyone wants to play the Laver Cup. Bah. You can’t want everything, extra tournaments and events, Majors and money-making exhibitions. And in the meantime tennis is becoming more and more physical. But when do they rest?”
McEnroe never won the Australian Open, playing the tournament just five times in his lengthy career due to the awkward scheduling that he mentioned.
What changes have the ATP Tour made to the calendar in 2026?
The ATP Tour has already released their 2026 calendar, but there have not been any notable changes that would satisfy McEnroe’s request.
Perhaps the most notable of those is the ATP 250 tournament in Metz, the Moselle Open, being removed from the calendar after 22 years.
This tournament is particularly significant as it is where Novak Djokovic won his first of what is now 71 hard court titles.
Some of the alterations include the Estoril Open returning to the main ATP Tour after a year away, and tournaments in Marseille and Stockholm will alter their positions in the calendar.
- Moselle Open removed from the calendar after 22 years.
- Estoril Open to return to the main tour after a one-year hiatus.
- The Open 13 in Marseille will move from February to October.
- The Stockholm Open will move from October to November
While McEnroe has requested the Australian Open be moved to later in the calendar, that will not be the case for next year.
The 2026 Australian Open will get underway on Sunday, January 18.
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