Aryna Sabalenka’s 2026 season has gotten off to a perfect start on the court, as she is into the quarterfinals of the WTA Brisbane International tournament, having dropped no sets and lost a combined seven games across her first two matches.
While much of the recent conversation surrounding the world No. 1 has been focused on her “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition, Sabalenka’s official tournament play has seen her begin the year looking as dominant as ever ahead of the Australian Open.
Sabalenka Talks 2026 Schedule
Dominance Meets Calendar Pressure
Simultaneously, the debate over the tennis season schedule and calendar has intensified, particularly after both tours introduced rules requiring every player, regardless of ranking, to play at least 500-level tournaments, alongside the Masters and Slams.
This has affected the very best players the most. Because they routinely make deep runs, they often miss required events due to physical limits, resulting in docking of prize money or ranking points — the latter being the case for both Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek last year.
Sabalenka on Why Serena’s Model Fails
When asked whether she could manage her schedule and skip tournaments selectively, as Serena Williams did during the 2010s, Sabalenka explained how much the rules have changed.
“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. But what Serena did, the rules were different. Right now, like last season, by the end of the season, because I didn’t play enough of 500 events, they fine us with points, me and Iga… The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events.”
Despite the penalties attached to doing so, Sabalenka admitted she will still prioritize her long-term health to extend her career.
“I’m still doing that, like, I’m skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body, because I struggled a lot last season. Even though the results were really consistent, some of the tournaments I had been playing completely sick, or I’ve been really exhausted from overplaying. This season we will try to manage it a little bit better, even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season.”
Pressure Mounts on Tours Amid Player Backlash
Sabalenka, who has finished each of the past two seasons ranked No. 1 in the world, added that tours need to make changes to better protect players, saying, “I think they just follow their interests, but they’re not focusing on protecting all of us.”
That sentiment has been echoed not only by Iga Swiatek but also by top ATP stars, including Carlos Alcaraz, over the past year.
With pressure on tennis officials continuing to mount and significant injuries affecting players on both tours, it remains to be seen whether the demanding mandatory-event requirement will be relaxed or persist despite growing criticism.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – Imagn Images