The start of the 2026 tennis season has arrived with a bang, but not everyone is thrilled with the breakneck pace. World number one Aryna Sabalenka, never one to mince words, has called the current women’s tour schedule “insane,” and she’s not shying away from taking a stand—even if it means risking fines or losing precious ranking points. Her candid remarks, made after her quarterfinal win at the Brisbane International on January 8, have set off a wave of discussion about player health, scheduling, and the relentless demands of modern tennis.
Sabalenka, the defending champion in Brisbane and a two-time Australian Open winner, defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-3 to book her place in the quarterfinals. The win sets up a tantalizing rematch with Madison Keys, the American who dashed Sabalenka’s hopes of an Australian Open three-peat in last year’s Melbourne final. But the on-court drama is only half the story. Off the court, Sabalenka is making headlines for her willingness to challenge the status quo.
“The season is definitely insane, and that’s a fact,” Sabalenka declared in a post-match press conference. “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.” Her frustration is palpable, and it’s not hard to see why. The WTA’s top-10 players, including Sabalenka, are required to play at least 18 tournaments a year, plus the four Grand Slams. That’s a lot of tennis—especially when the off-season feels more like a long weekend than a true break.
The stakes for skipping events are high: players face fines and the threat of lost ranking points. But Sabalenka, who battled shoulder issues in 2025 that forced her out of Wimbledon, is adamant about putting her health first. “Even though the rules are mandatory, if I feel like my body needs rest, I’m going to take that rest,” she said. “They’re not focusing on protecting all of us; they’re focusing on something else.”
Sabalenka’s stance isn’t an isolated one—it echoes a growing chorus among the sport’s elite. Iga Swiatek, world number two, skipped mandatory tournaments in 2025 and paid the price with docked points. She’s been vocal about the toll the tour takes, both mentally and physically. “We play so many tournaments, and it’s hard to stay fresh,” Swiatek remarked in a recent interview. Coco Gauff, the rising American star, has also weighed in, saying, “It’s a lot right out of the gate,” after her opening match in Adelaide this week.
Sabalenka’s 2025 season was a whirlwind. She played 16 tournaments, posted a sparkling 63-12 record, and capped the year with a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals. Her consistency earned her WTA Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season, joining the ranks of Serena Williams and Swiatek as back-to-back winners over the last quarter-century. She even participated in the much-hyped Battle of the Sexes match against Nick Kyrgios. But all that success came at a price: exhaustion, and a nagging sense that the system is unsustainable.
“Some of the tournaments I had been playing completely sick or I’ve been really exhausted from overplaying,” Sabalenka admitted. “So this season we will try to manage it a little bit better.” She’s not alone in that approach. Jannik Sinner, the men’s world number one from Italy, has also spoken about the need to “pick your battles” after a grueling 2025 campaign that left him nursing hip troubles. On the women’s side, Elena Rybakina has already pulled out of Adelaide citing fatigue, while Jessica Pegula is scaling back to manage ongoing health concerns.
The early-season grind is particularly fierce, with the United Cup team competition wrapping up on January 5 and a slew of warm-up events in Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, and Auckland leading directly into the Australian Open. The Grand Slam itself, scheduled from January 12 to February 2 in Melbourne, has been stretched to 15 days in recent years to ease the early-round crunch. This year’s tournament boasts a record $96.5 million in prize money and a full field of 128 players per draw. Yet, for many, the question remains: is it too much, too soon?
Madison Keys, Sabalenka’s quarterfinal opponent, knows a thing or two about the physical toll of the tour. She fought through three tiebreakers and a heavily taped left leg to edge past Diana Shnaider in a dramatic three-hour match on January 8. “Always good to start the year with a little bit of drama,” Keys joked afterward. She’s looking to get as many matches under her belt as possible before defending her Australian Open crown, knowing that match toughness is critical in the season’s first Slam.
Sabalenka, though, isn’t interested in revenge against Keys for last year’s heartbreak in Melbourne. “It’s going to be, as always, a great battle, really aggressive tennis,” she said. “I’m excited to face her.” For Sabalenka, the focus is on quality over quantity—she’s considering pulling out of one or two warm-up tournaments to ensure she’s sharp and healthy for the Australian Open. It’s a calculated risk, but one she believes is necessary for longevity. “I want to play for a long time, not just burn out early,” she noted.
The debate over scheduling isn’t just a locker-room gripe—it’s gaining traction at the highest levels. The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic, is pushing for reforms, including fewer mandatory events and longer off-seasons. Djokovic himself plans to raise the issue at the upcoming player council meetings in Melbourne, advocating for a “player-first” approach. Meanwhile, WTA officials maintain that the current structure provides global exposure and growing prize money, but they say they’re open to feedback and regularly review the calendar.
Other voices have joined the fray. Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian veteran, summed up the sentiment: “It’s not just about one player; it’s the whole system. We need changes to keep everyone healthy.” The risk, of course, is that more stars might follow Sabalenka’s lead, resulting in diluted tournament fields and potentially less fan engagement. But it could also be the catalyst needed for meaningful change.
As Sabalenka advances in Brisbane, with a semifinal against either Elena Rybakina or Karolina Muchova on the horizon, the tennis world is watching closely. Can the sport find a balance between commercial success and player welfare? Or will the relentless calendar continue to push its brightest stars to the brink? One thing’s for sure: Sabalenka’s willingness to speak out—and act—has put the debate front and center as the Australian Open looms.
With the first Grand Slam of the year just days away, all eyes are on Melbourne. The question isn’t just who will lift the trophy, but who will make it to the finish line healthy and ready for the battles ahead. For Sabalenka and her fellow pros, the fight for change may just be as fierce as anything that happens on the court.