Marcos Baghdatis has called out the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek for their complaints of the tennis calendar.
Baghdatis is a former Australian Open finalist, and knows what it is like to compete at the very top of tennis.
One of the big topics of conversation this year has been the tennis calendar, with many players including Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek complaining about the schedule.
Alcaraz has been criticised for being hypocritical after playing exhibitions, but that is not the issue that Baghdatis appears to have with these complaints.
Marcos Baghdatis gives his verdict on players complaining about the tennis calendar
Many top players are not happy about the amount of tennis that they are playing right now, and while Baghdatis supports their right to complain, he does not like the way they are going about it.
When speaking to Tennis365, Baghdatis believes that players should be using Novak Djokovic’s PTPA to voice their opinions more.
“Listen, yes, I really do think it [the schedule] is a problem,” said Baghdatis. “And the reason why I hate when they complain about it is not because they complain, it’s because they have a union, they have an association, they have the PTPA now, that is there and that is fighting for them. Their voice is very strong and they can go to the PTPA and they can talk with them and find ways to make things better.
“You know, in our days, we didn’t have that association, so we could have complained as much as we wanted — nobody heard us. But right now, they do have it.
“And for me, that’s where I don’t understand the players. They have an association that was created by some of the players, like Novak and Vasek Pospisil, and they have whatever they need to be able to go and negotiate with the tours and the tournaments.
“But they don’t do it, they only complain through media and interviews and all that. That’s where I find it a bit strange. For me, yeah, that’s where, whenever a player complains, I tell them: okay, you can change things, guys. I mean, it’s in your hands. It’s not in the hands of the tours or the tournaments, it’s in your hands. So why don’t you do it?”
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What did Novak Djokovic say was the problem with players complaining about the tennis schedule
Djokovic co-founded the PTPA in 2020 alongside the now-retired Vasek Pospisil, and he has spoken about his dislike with the tennis calendar himself.
One of the big frustrations players have had with the tennis calendar is the two-week Masters 1000 tournaments, which Djokovic has also been outspoken about.
However, echoing Baghdatis’ point, Djokovic spoke about complaints of the tennis calendar at the Shanghai Masters earlier this year and expressed his frustration in the lack of unity among players.
“In the end, as a player and someone that has been playing on the highest level for more than 20 years, I can say that the players are not united enough,” Djokovic said in his pre-tournament press conference in Shanghai. “Players are not participating enough when they should be.
“So they make the comments and they complain, and then they go away. And then if something is wrong, after a certain amount of time they come back again.
“But you have to invest the time, you have to invest energy yourself, not your agent, not your team, not your parents, not anybody, yourself, to dedicate yourself to understand how the system works, to understand what are the things that can be done to be reversed, to be improved in terms of the players’ interest.
“For that to happen you need the top players particularly, you know, to sit down, roll up their sleeves, and really care a bit more about participating in understanding all of the hot topic, I would say.
“Because going out in the media and talking about this and that, okay, it might stir up some energy or some attention. But in the end of the day it’s not going to change, nothing is going to change, you know? I know it from my personal experience, trust me. So, yeah, it’s quite a complex topic.”
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Djokovic did also call out players like Alcaraz competing in exhibition events after complaining about playing too much tennis.
Players are now preparing for the 2026 season, and the complaints about the tennis calendar are expected to continue.
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