• What the Deuce

Something's got to give

Rafael Nadal admits he was lacking his usual passion on the court © Getty Images

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When David Ferrer admits he is exhausted, alarm bells should start ringing. We regularly hear the likes of Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal complaining about the length of the season, but the tireless Ferrer is the Duracell bunny of the men's game.

"I'm very tired," Ferrer admitted after his semi-final defeat to Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals. "I want to stop but I can't because I have the Davis Cup. But I'm really tired."

Nadal confessed he had lost some of his passion for the sport, while Djokovic admitted to 'overload'. The 30-year-old Roger Federer, meanwhile, has dismissed talk of a player strike as nonsense, but the walking wounded in London should be real cause for concern for the ATP.

The 2012 season will be two weeks shorter than the current schedule, but the player commitments remain the same, plus there is the small matter of the London 2012 Olympics to squeeze in between Wimbledon and the US Open.

Men's tennis is in a golden era, with Federer and Nadal two of the greatest players to have picked up a tennis racket. With the season he has just had, Djokovic could well join them in the history books.

If a footballer shows signs of weariness, his manager has the option leave him on the bench to recover. If a tennis player isn't feeling 100 per cent, there are two options - to play or not to play. Play, and risk injury or burnout; don't play, and don't get paid.

While the success of the smaller tournaments are dependent on the support of big names to attract spectators, the top players feel they are being stretched - attempting a juggling act trying to keep tournaments, fans, sponsors and coaches on side - as well as in most cases wives or girlfriends.

"I think all the players know the season is very long and is very tough for us," Ferrer said. "We play a lot of tournaments, Davis Cup, ATP tournaments. We finish in December. Now I will play in the Davis Cup. Finally in December I will have only one week to rest and then I will come back in January to play in the new season. We know that and we want to change. We know it's not easy, but we need to change the calendar."

The powers-that-be also have a number of parties to keep happy - players, TV broadcasters and tournaments. Comments after the US Open suggest the players feel they are bottom of the pecking order.

Andy Murray was among the walking wounded in London © PA Photos

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The Women's Tennis Association sat up and took notice of its players, and is reaping the benefits. While the women's game may lack the starpower of the men's game, it is giving its stars the best opportunity to shine.

The WTA cut the schedule in 2009 and reduced the number of mandatory tournaments, and immediately reaped the benefits, seeing the player withdrawal levels drop significantly.

"If we don't have healthy athletes, we can't have a level of product that we want," WTA chief executive Stacey Allaster said back in 2009. "That's why it was important in the roadmap that we scheduled breaks. That is why there is a long break after Wimbledon, so they can take a rest after that grind."

Sports and injuries go hand-in-hand, but the argument is that a fully fit Nadal playing in 15 tournaments a year is better than a washed-out player dragging his body around the court in a bid to keep up with the schedule.

Next season will see a longer off-season - the season has been reduced by a fortnight - although one week seems counterproductive - removing the week between the Paris Masters and the year-end championships is likely to see more players opting to skip Paris (at least those who have already qualified).

It also means that some players will not find out they are playing in the final event of the year until the day before the event starts - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych and Mardy Fish all went to Paris still chasing qualification.

Not ideal preparation, nor the best outcome for tournament organisers, who will be unable to market the event as well. This year, the players enjoyed a pre-event party at the Battersea Power Station, with images of the eight players beamed onto the iconic chimneys.

That will all have to go. Although in the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal, it threatens to undermine the competition - in a similar way to having players who are simply going through the motions rather than giving it their all.

One slightly more unorthodox option would be to hold the year-end finals at the beginning of the season - although they may need something of a rebranding. Admittedly, the event loses its identity as a season finale, but on the flip side it would be one hell of a curtain raiser and a perfect warm-up for the Australian Open - three matches against top-class opposition guaranteed.

The possibilities are out there, but what's clear is that the ATP World Tour Finals and the ATP needs its top players to be fit. Whether that is a major overhaul of the schedule or reducing the number of mandatory tournaments, something has to give.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.