Tommy Paul says his body benefited greatly from him shutting down his 2025 season after the US Open, and the world No. 20 admits he is now in a great state and ecstatic about the start of the new season.
After injuring his foot during the clay season, Paul's injury worsened during the grass swing and he went just 4-4 across the grass and North American hard-court swings. Following a US Open third-round loss to Alexander Bublik, the four-time ATP champion decided to take an extended break and fully focus on treating his lingering foot issue.
This week, Paul returned to action in New York by beating Nick Kyrgios 4-6 6-3 10-5 in an exhibition match.
Speaking with tennis.com, the 28-year-old confirmed that his injury was a thing of the past - that he was in a great state - and that he was excited about taking part in some exhibitions this month before going to Australia and playing Brisbane, Adelaide and the Australian Open in January.
Paul jokes: Let me tell you, ending the season after the US Open was not that bad
We as tennis players always complain that the season is too long and the tour should stop after the Open, and thats pretty much what I did. Let me tell you, its not that bad! Most other sports do a really good job of giving their athletes time to build muscle and prepare for a grueling season. These past couple weeks, couple months have been really good for that. I feel like Ive been able to get a good routine going, and I want to be able to go into Australia and feel good about everything throughout the entire year," the 28-year-old said.
When criticizing the schedule, tennis players often bring up that their season is one of the longest and most demanding in all sports, and they basically have little to no time to rest between seasons.
Paul doesn't have such problems heading into 2026 as his 2025 season finished in early September.
