“Maybe I will have to choose some tournaments and skip them, even though they are mandatory,” Iga Swiatek admitted last month, voicing her concerns about her health after a spate of injuries at the China Open. While the world no. 2 has long advocated for a lighter calendar, the world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also echoed her frustrations, saying, “The scheduling is crazy, it’s really tough to handle.” Yet as the season nears its finale with the WTA Finals on the horizon, both stars found themselves on the wrong side of the rulebook. Despite their warnings, the WTA handed heavy punishments to Swiatek and Sabalenka for breaching regulations, while Coco Gauff remarkably escaped unscathed.

The top two players in women’s tennis have once again found themselves at the center of controversy. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, the titans of the modern game, have been penalized for not fulfilling their mandatory WTA 500 tournament commitments during the 2025 season. Despite the deduction of points, both players have managed to hold their ground in the WTA Rankings, keeping their positions at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

According to WTA regulations, all top players are required to compete in at least six WTA 500 events each year unless they have an injury or a valid personal reason. Failure to comply triggers what the tour calls “zero-pointers,” the ranking points from a higher-level event are dropped and replaced with zero for a missed 500 tournament. It’s a system designed to maintain fairness and to ensure the biggest stars continue to appear in key events across the calendar.

But as the 2025 WTA season nears its conclusion, the final update before the WTA Finals has hit both Sabalenka and Swiatek. Even Polish journalist Dominik Senkowski reported that the pair faced substantial penalties this time, with Sabalenka losing 520 points and Swiatek 508. “I have received confirmation from the WTA that Sabalenka will have 9,870 points tomorrow and Iga will have 8,195,” Senkowski revealed on X. “Aryna will lose 120 points for Dubai and 400 for the WTA Finals (they previously deducted 10 points for Doha). This is the result of penalty points for not playing in the WTA 500. Iga will lose 508 points – 108 for Stuttgart and 400 for the WTA Finals.”

The numbers tell the story of a tightrope walk at the top. In last week’s rankings, Sabalenka lost just 10 points while Swiatek dropped 65. Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, and Madison Keys were also hit with smaller deductions, 10, 10, and 54 points, respectively. Yet, this latest update delivered a far heavier blow, stripping the top two seeds of more than 1,000 points combined.

Even so, neither Sabalenka nor Swiatek has budged in the standings. Sabalenka, who also lost 120 points from Dubai and 400 from the WTA Finals, now sits at 9,870 points. Swiatek, after a similar 508-point deduction, follows at 8,195. Gauff, despite avoiding any penalty this week, remains a distant third on 6,563 points after losing 1,300 from her 2024 WTA Finals title defense.

The gap between Sabalenka and the rest of the field is now unassailable. With a 1,675-point lead over Swiatek and only the WTA Finals remaining, where the maximum 1,500 points are on offer, Sabalenka has officially secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking. 

Meanwhile, Gauff maintains her status as America’s top player, holding off compatriots Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula. For Anisimova to surpass her, she would need to reach at least the semi-finals in the Finals, while Pegula faces an even steeper climb, requiring a flawless, undefeated title run paired with an early Gauff exit. With 200 points awarded per round-robin victory, the math leaves little room for miracles.

For Swiatek and Sabalenka, the penalties are a reminder of how punishing the WTA’s scheduling system can be, even for its brightest stars. Both players have been vocal about the physical and mental toll of an overloaded calendar, calling for reform throughout the year. Yet, despite the latest deductions, they’ve earned admiration from many younger players for their stance on change and player welfare.

Marta Kostyuk voices honest thoughts on the top two seeds

In an exclusive heart-to-heart with Tennis 365 at the Wuhan Open, Marta Kostyuk let her emotions flow freely, her words raw, sharp, and honest. Reflecting on the dizzying highs and painful lows of her 2025 season, the Ukrainian star spoke with the calm of someone who’s learned to embrace both triumph and trial.

When asked what separates the great from the good, Kostyuk didn’t hesitate. Her voice carried a quiet admiration as she uttered the name that’s become synonymous with excellence: Poland’s Iga Swiatek. “Against Iga (Swiatek), when I have played her, I wasn’t ready to play her at all. I played her over a year ago, and she was very strong,” she said.

Then came Aryna Sabalenka, a player whose game burns like fire and whose power demands reverence. Kostyuk’s voice carried both awe and defiance. “With Aryna (Sabalenka), I know it is a tough battle. I have my own skills, but at the end of the day, they are all much bigger than me, much taller than me, much stronger than me,” she added.

And now, as the WTA Finals loom, one question lingers: who will seize the crown? The fierce Sabalenka, the relentless Swiatek, or the defending queen Coco Gauff?