Aryna Sabalenka said she expects to skip tournaments again this season rather than risk her health during what she called an “insane” schedule, even if it means facing sanctions from the WTA Tour.
Under WTA rules, top players are required to compete in all four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 events and six WTA 500 tournaments. Penalties for missing mandatory events range from fines to the loss of ranking points.
Sabalenka played only three WTA 500 events in 2025, Brisbane, Stuttgart and Berlin, and was among several elite players, including world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who were docked ranking points as a result.
Asked whether she would change her plans for 2026, the four-time Grand Slam champion told reporters: “The season is definitely insane, and that’s not good for all of us, as you see so many players getting injured.”
“The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I’m still skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body, because I struggled a lot last season,” the Belarusian said after beating Sorana Cirstea at the Brisbane International.
“Even though the results were really consistent, some of the tournaments I played completely sick, or I was really exhausted from overplaying. This season we will try to manage it a little bit better, even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season.
“But it’s tricky to do that. You cannot skip 1000 events. It’s really tricky, and I think that’s insane what they do. I think they just follow their interests, but they’re not focusing on protecting all of us.”
Both the men’s and women’s circuits have faced criticism over their 11-month seasons, with renewed scrutiny during the Asian swing late last year as injuries mounted.
In September, the WTA told Reuters that athlete welfare is a top priority and said it had listened to views on the calendar through the players’ council and their representatives on the WTA board to improve the circuit structure in 2024 and boost compensation.
