The ATP Tour may shorten its 11-month season by two or three weeks in 2012 to give players more rest and help them avoid injuries and burnout.
''We are taking a good, hard look at our calendar to see if there is a meaningful way to lengthen the offseason that would allow players more time for rest, fitness and working on their game,'' spokeswoman Kate Gordon said Friday.
The ATP board of directors will meet during the ATP Tour World Finals in London next month to vote on schedules for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Some of the proposals being considered would shorten the calendar by two or three weeks.
''The issue of season length has been around for a long time and there is no quick fix, but we are committed to giving it real consideration,'' Gordon said.
The top players have advocated for a shorter tournament calendar for years.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who admitted being tired this week after playing three tournaments in a row and 16 overall this year, has suggested allowing the top players to stop playing after the final top-tier Masters events in the fall and forgo late-season smaller tournaments without having to worry about giving up ranking points.
''The perfect schedule is if you have the chance to play and you have the chance not to play,'' he said at the Shanghai Masters this week.
Andy Roddick also wants a longer offseason for players.
''I've been pretty upfront with saying I think (the schedule) is too long,'' he said in Shanghai. ''I think, luckily, our voices seem to be getting to the point where they're being heard.''
Roger Federer, playing his 14th event of the year in Shanghai, also supported a shorter tour. But he realizes the top players were in a better position to pick and choose their tournaments than others who are chasing money and higher rankings.
''It's a smart idea to cut the calendar short without hurting too many tournaments, and I hope that we can reach a good agreement there,'' he said.
''I don't remember the year finishing so late ever. But it's what it is. I think if the season is long, you have more breaks in the season than you do normally, if you're smart about it. If you ran after points and tournaments, it's normal that the season becomes endless.
''I can live with either one. I think if you're injured for a period of time, you can get some points down the stretch and your ranking is not going to drop like a stone.''
