The world number one is expected to skip events again this year and face a possible ban rather than risk her health.
Published on January 8, 2026
World number one Arya Sabalenka has accused tennis officials of “following their own interests” and failing to protect the welfare of players in what has been a “crazy” tennis season.
The Belarusian hopes to skip events this year rather than risk her health, although she knows she is likely to be sanctioned by the WTA Tour to do so, the world number one said on Thursday.
Top players are obliged to compete in all four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 events and six WTA 500 events under WTA rules, with penalties ranging from deduction of ranking points to fines for missing out.
In 2025, Sabalenka competed in just three WTA 500 events – Brisbane, Stuttgart and Berlin – making her one of several high-ranking points, along with world number two Iga Swiatek.
Asked if she would change her plans for 2026, the four-time Grand Slam champion told reporters: “The season is definitely crazy, and it’s not good for all of us, because you see a lot of players injured …
“The rules are pretty tough for mandatory events, but I’m still skipping some events to protect my body, because I struggled a lot last season,” she said after beating Sorana Cerstia at the Brisbane International.
“Even though the results have been really consistent, there were some tournaments I played when I was completely sick or I was exhausted from overplaying. This season, we will try to manage it a little better, even though they are going to penalize me at the end of the season.
“But it’s difficult to do. You can’t skip 1000 programs. It’s really difficult, and I think what they do is crazy. I think they’re just following their passion, but they’re not focused on protecting all of us.”
The number of events in the tennis calendar has been a frequent complaint in recent months among the sport’s biggest names.
Men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz is another who has expressed concern about how much tennis he plays, although he has signed up to feature in lucrative exhibition matches.
A week before the Australian Open, he faces arch-rival Janik Sinner in a similar event in South Korea on Saturday.
The men’s and women’s teams have faced criticism over their 11-month season, and both tours came under fresh scrutiny during the “Asian swing” late last year, when injuries piled up.