Aryna Sabalenka says she expects to miss competition again this year rather than risk her health during this “crazy” season, despite knowing she could be sanctioned by the WTA Tour for doing so.
According to WTA rules, top women’s players must participate in all four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 events and six WTA 500 events, and penalties for missing these events include point deductions and fines.
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World No. 1 Sabalenka has competed in just three WTA 500 events in 2025 – Brisbane, Stuttgart and Berlin – making her one of a number of high-ranking players, including World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, to have their rankings deducted.
Asked if he would change his plans for 2026, the four-time Grand Slam champion told reporters: “This season has been absolutely crazy and it’s not good for all of us because you see so many players injured.
“The rules for mandatory events are pretty tricky but I’m still skipping some events to protect my body because I struggled so much last season.
“Even though the results were really solid, there were some games where I was completely sick or I was really exhausted from playing too much. This season, we’re going to try to manage it a little better, although they’re going to fine me at the end of the season.”
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“But it’s tricky. You can’t skip 1,000 events. It’s really tricky and I think what they’re doing is crazy. I think they’re just following their own interests, but they’re not focused on protecting all of us.”
The Belarusian made the comments after defeating Sorana Sistea at the Brisbane International on Thursday.
The men’s and women’s tours have been criticized for their 11-month-long seasons, and both came under fresh scrutiny during the “Asian Swing” late last year with a mounting number of injuries.
In September, the WTA told Reuters that athlete welfare was a top priority and that input on the calendar was being heard through the Players Council and its representatives on the WTA board to improve the tour structure and increase pay in 2024.
