The ‘broken system’ in tennis Andy Roddick complained about 15 years ago that still hasn’t been fixed

Any casual tennis fan might be under the impression that the season ends following the US Open and begins once again when the Australian Open rolls around in the New Year.

While pretty much every other sport on the planet offers its players long off-seasons to properly rest their bodies and take time to heal from any nagging injuries, tennis just keeps going; pretty much all year round.

There is about a month and a half between the final event of the year, the ATP Finals, and the first tournament of the following season.

For the top players, the tennis schedule can be absolutely brutal, as deep runs at tournaments mean even less time off before the next one starts.

The issue around the packed calendar is not a new one, and in 2011, Andy Roddick used the term 'broken system' to describe the problem that still persists today.

What Andy Roddick said about the tennis schedule back in 2011

After winning his opening match at the Shanghai Masters that year, Roddick was asked about Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who were no-shows at the ATP 1000 tournament.

"My views are pretty clear on it," began the former US Open champion. "You know, people have to understand, people act like we pull out and we get something out of it.

"We don't get anything. They're out of the bonus pool now. They don't get their money this week. I'm sure there's something in their contract somewhere. It benefits them to be there.

"Obviously, if they were feeling well and they weren't worn down, then they would. We're not getting away with anything by pulling out of tournaments. I feel like that's the way it's presented sometimes. That's just not the case."

At the US Open earlier that season, there was a lot of talk about players meeting at the Shanghai Masters to discuss the scheduling issues.

By the time the Shanghai Masters came around, it felt as though momentum around the discussions had died down, but Roddick confirmed: "The sentiment is still there.

He said: "I think it is a broken system purely from a numbers game on votes on our, you know, player board and council and all that. As long as we're one vote short, nothing's really going to happen. I think the inherent issues that we're facing are still there.

"You know, I hope guys are as passionate as they were. But, as I said, I'm one of the only ones who played today.

"From what I've been reading, there are still some issues. You know, so we'll see. I mean, I think it would be dumb of us to rush anything. If something like this does happen, we need to be smart about it and take our time and make sure that it's well thought out and not be kind of reactionary."

Andy Roddick's issue with the end section of the tennis season

Asked what other things about the tour he would like to see fixed other than the scheduling, Roddick replied: "Well, that's a major issue.

"I said last week in Beijing, that was an issue when I started in '01 or '02, I remember in Bercy (The Paris Masters).

"But I also remember in Bercy it being the last event of the year, and I would celebrate Halloween there.

"Now it's mid-November. It's November 14th that Bercy finishes. So with all the talk, it's actually gotten longer, and that's if you don't make Masters.

"So the guys that play the most are playing into early December, some of them, for Davis Cup. Obviously, that's not the direction that you want to see. So that's a major issue.

"You know, if we're getting selfish about it, I think players get 13% of total revenue, something like that, from the US Open, and the NBA is at a crossroads because they're going to have to go from 57% to 50%. That's an alarming number.

"That's not the be all, end all. I think we all feel very fortunate for what we get, but we are putting people in seats."

For those who don't make the ATP Finals, the last big tournament of the year is the Paris Masters, which, this year, ends on the eighth of November.