Carlos Alcaraz has expressed his frustration at the number of mandatory events on the ATP Tour and he may now follow through with his threat to miss key events in 2027.

Alcaraz won the ATP 500 title in Tokyo last week and appeared to enjoy his time on court at an event he opted to play despite the quick turnaround from the Laver Cup in London a few days earlier.

While a player who has already collected over $66 million in career prize money is not likely to be entirely focused on money at this point in his career, Alcaraz would have been paid a big fee for his appearance in Tokyo.

He would also have been given special treatment by tournament organisers to ensure he enjoyed his experience and may come back in 2027.

An event like the Japan Open needs Alcaraz to sell tickets and raise the profile of their tournament, but the dynamics around this week’s tournament in Shanghai are very different.

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All Masters 1000 events fall into the ‘mandatory’ category for the game’s top players and they are expected to play without the lure of an appearance fee.

The prize money at events like the Shanghai Masters is substantial, but Alcaraz has been among those who have expressed frustration over the extended 12-day tournaments that require a two-week commitment from players.

That is the bone of contention for many at the top of the game, as they feel the move to turn these tournaments from the traditional seven-day format to the longer run that paves the way for more lucrative TV deals, enhanced sponsorship packages and more ticket sales is not sustainable.

“If I was going to make changes to the game, I’d say 12-day Masters 1000s is just too much tennis,” said former British No 1 Tim Henman in an interview with Tennis365 earlier this year.

“You are there for a full two weeks. That’s a lot of time on the road and the idea that players get longer to rest in between matches doesn’t stack up as we’re seeing that with the number of players that are injured. I would definitely bring that to eight or nine days, which would free up the calendar.

“It is an experiment that hasn’t worked for me. And we have a lot of tennis that is not interesting to the wider audience.

“I’m sure a lot of the players would be happy if the Masters 1000s come down from 12 days as it’s too much.”

Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are among those big names who have made similar claims, with Alcaraz making his feelings clear on the extended Masters 1000s last year.

“The one week ones are better,” he said. “Some will think that in two weeks there are days of rest, but that is not the case,” the four-time major winner said.

“You train, you have to mentally prepare for the game, prepare for it… you’re not resting, really. It’s two full weeks. That’s why I prefer the one-week Masters 1000. For me, it’s better for tennis.”

Alcaraz’s complaints about the ATP Tour mandatory events were aired once again at the US Open, as he suggested he would be skipping chunks of next season to avoid the kind of wrist injury issue that has affected him following the Barcelona Open in April.

He didn’t return to action until mid-August at the US Open and while he could face financial penalties for failing to play in Masters 1000s tournaments when he is fit, it seems his eagerness to put his health before the rules of the tour runs deep.

The Spanish superstar is reportedly refusing to work with the ATP Tour media team to fulfil all their requests in what is being seen as a ‘mini protest’ and he knows all the power in this stand-off is in his hands.

All tournaments want the biggest draw in men’s tennis in their line-up and if he starts to pick and choose where he will play, it leaves organisers with a problem to satisfy sponsors and spectators.

Could it lead to a reduction in mandatory events or the option for players to pick up appearance fees at Masters 1000 tournaments?

Alcaraz appears to be more attracted to tournaments that offer appearance fees and he will not be alone in taking that stance, so maybe the ATP need to revise how they fund their mandatory events if they are determined to continue with the extended format.

They may be options on the table for ATP Tour chiefs if star names like Alcaraz turn minor protests in a full-scale boycott.

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