Beginning last year, players across the ATP and WTA tours became more vocal on the punishing schedules. The toll is heftier on the women’s side, with top players expected to compete in at least 20 mandatory events. However, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has revealed her plans, which might get her under the league’s microscope.

“The season is definitely insane, and that’s not good for all of us, as you see so many players getting injured, and also the balls are quite heavy, so it’s a struggle for all of us,” she said on The First Serve.

When asked whether she plans to skip tournaments the way Serena Williams once did, Sabalenka had an obvious response: “The rules were different.”

Under current WTA rules, top players are required to compete in all four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 tournaments, and six WTA 500 events each season. Failure to do so can result in fines and penalty points. Last year, Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek failed to meet the minimum WTA 500 tournaments, resulting in both players being docked ranking points or hit with zero-pointer penalties despite remaining high in the rankings.

The “zero-pointer” rule states that if a player fails to enter a mandatory WTA 500 event, they receive zero points for that event and lose existing points from another event, usually a higher-tier tournament. This system is more rigid than it was for most of Serena Williams’s career.

Back then, the participation rules were less strict, and penalties such as mandatory ranking point removals for skipping WTA 500 events were not enforced as strictly. However, despite knowing the consequences, Sabalenka has made one thing clear:

“The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I’m still doing that, like, I’m skipping couple events in order to protect my body,” she explained.

Despite those concerns, the Belarusian has hit the ground running in 2026. Sabalenka opened her season with the Brisbane International, cruising through her first match of the year against Cristina Bucșa in 6-0, 6-1. She backed it up with a confident 6-3, 6-3 victory over Sorana Cirstea.

The crowded calendar has been frowned upon by Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek as well. Sabalenka has now joined that conversation by openly criticizing officials for what she sees as a lack of concern for player health.

World No. 1 rallies against WTA’s schedule as it takes toll on players’ health

In September 2025, she withdrew from the China Open due to a minor injury shortly after winning the US Open. Earlier in 2024, Sabalenka missed Wimbledon because of a shoulder muscle injury, an issue that affected her serve and forced her to skip one of the biggest tournaments.

While she often competes deep into tournaments, Sabalenka’s tendency to play through illness and fatigue (including battling sickness at Roland Garros) points to the physical toll of the schedule, reinforcing her complaints about workload.

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“I struggled a lot last season,” Sabalenka mentioned. “Even though the results were really consistent, but some of the tournaments I had been playing completely sick or I’ve been really exhausted from overplaying.”

Those experiences forced her to rethink her approach this year.

“Even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season… 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.”

On court, though, the focus now shifts to a big quarterfinal clash at the Brisbane International with American Madison Keys. The American defeated Sabalenka in last year’s Australian Open final. And with Sabalenka back in action after her exhibition loss to Nick Kyrgios, she returns not just chasing wins, but sending a clear warning.

Aryna Sabalenka welcomes the intimidation

The Belarusian started her season with back-to-back wins in Brisbane. When asked if she was trying to intimidate future opponents, the 27-year-old shrugged it off. For her, her focus was simply on applying what she worked on during the preseason. Still, Sabalenka admitted that showing her level might affect others.

“It’s tennis. You can’t predict anything. Just trying to show my level,” she confessed before adding with a smile, “if anyone got scared because of it, I’d be happy to see the players give up.

On court, the world No. 1 was ruthless from the start. She raced through the opening set in just 22 minutes, breaking Bucșa three times and dictating every rally. Sabalenka finished the match with 18 winners and only nine unforced errors with complete control.

Her serve anchored the performance, and she sealed the match with an ace to equal the quickest win of her career. Stepping inside the baseline, cutting off angles, and moving forward with confidence, Sabalenka kept the pace relentlessly high, giving Bucșa little chance to settle.

The strong start extended beyond singles, as Aryna Sabalenka also impressed in doubles alongside Paula Badosa. The popular “Sabadosa” pairing advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over Zhang Shuai and Liudmila Samsonova, clearly enjoying their reunion. Now, with Sabalenka also focused on managing her workload and giving her body proper rest this season, it will be fascinating to see how her form carries into the rest of the year.