By Aadi Nair
Bengaluru — Aryna Sabalenka expects to skip events again this year rather than put her health at risk over the course of an “insane” season, even though she knows she is likely to be sanctioned by the WTA Tour for doing so, the world No 1 said.
Top players are obliged to compete in all four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 tournaments and six WTA 500 events under WTA rules, with the punishment for missing them ranging from rankings points deductions to fines.
In 2025, Sabalenka competed in just three WTA 500 events — Brisbane, Stuttgart and Berlin — making her one of a number of high-ranked players, including world No 2 Iga Swiatek, to be docked ranking points.
Asked if 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 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.
The season is definitely insane, and that’s not good for all of us, as you see so many players getting injured.
— Aryna Sabalenka
“Even though the results were really consistent, some of the tournaments I had been playing I was completely sick, or I’ve been really exhausted from overplaying. This season we will try to manage it a little 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 what they do is insane. I think they just follow their interests, but they’re not focusing on protecting all of us.”
The men’s and women’s circuits have faced criticism due to their 11-month seasons, and both tours came under fresh scrutiny during the “Asian swing” towards the end of last year with injuries piling up.
In September, the WTA told Reuters that athlete welfare is a top priority and that it had listened to views on the calendar, both through the players’ council and their representatives on the WTA board, to improve the circuit structure in 2024 and boost compensation.
Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from this month’s Australian Open as she continues to work her way back to full fitness after undergoing elbow surgery, the Olympic champion said on Thursday.
The world No 24, who reached the Melbourne final in 2024, took a break from the sport last year after opting to undergo arthroscopic surgery on her right elbow.
She missed the US Open before returning to action at the China Open in September, where she was forced to retire from her third-round match due to pain in her elbow.
“Making this decision has been incredibly difficult for me. Melbourne is my ‘lucky place’, where I won my first Grand Slam main draw match and where I had my best experience,” China’s Zheng said.
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