World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka pulled no punches on Thursday, calling the tennis calendar insane and accusing tour officials of prioritizing their own interests over player health.
The four-time Grand Slam champion made her remarks after a straightforward 6-3, 6-3 win over Sorana Cirstea at the Brisbane International, advancing her to the quarterfinals where she will face Madison Keys.
Sabalenka, who defended her Brisbane title last year and reached the WTA Finals final in November, said the packed schedule contributed to widespread injuries across the tour.
“The season is definitely insane, and that’s not good for all of us as you see so many players getting injured,” she told reporters. “The balls are quite heavy, so it’s a lot of struggle for all of us.”
She plans to skip select events in 2026 to manage her physical load, even if it means facing fines or points deductions from the WTA.
“The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I’m skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body because I struggled a lot last season,” Sabalenka said. “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.”
She added bluntly: “I think they just follow their interests. But they’re not focusing on protecting all of us.”
The WTA offered no immediate comment on her statements. In an earlier response to similar concerns last October, the tour stressed that athlete welfare remains a top priority.
Sabalenka’s frustration echoes complaints from other top players. On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz has spoken out against the relentless pace, though he continues to participate in high-profile exhibitions, including one against Jannik Sinner scheduled for Saturday in South Korea just days before the Australian Open.
Last year proved particularly grueling, with a spike in retirements and withdrawals at major events. Multiple matches at tournaments like the Shanghai Masters and China Open ended early due to injuries, highlighting the physical toll.
Sabalenka herself felt the strain in 2025 despite strong results. She played a limited number of WTA 500 events and, along with Iga Swiatek, faced ranking points penalties for not meeting participation requirements.
“You cannot skip 1000 events,” she noted, referring to the mandatory WTA 1000 tournaments. “It’s really tricky, and I think that’s insane what they do.”
Her decision to prioritize rest comes as the tour heads into another long year, starting with the Australian Open later this month. Sabalenka enters Melbourne as one of the favorites, having won the title there in recent seasons.
In Brisbane, she has looked sharp so far, dropping just seven games across two matches. Next up is Keys, who beat her in the 2025 Australian Open final.
Players across both tours continue to push for changes, arguing that the current setup leads to burnout and forces tough choices between competition and recovery.
Sabalenka’s outspoken stance adds pressure on governing bodies to address the issue, as the debate over schedule reform shows no signs of slowing down.
