Sabalenka: "This calendar is crazy, you can't skip any WTA 1000"

Fernando Murciego | 8 Jan 2026 | 08.13

Aryna Sabalenka criticizes the WTA calendar: "It's madness." Source: Getty

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Aryna Sabalenka has been a leader in the locker room since the WTA 500 in Brisbane, clearly responding to the regulations of the current women's circuit, where players feel pressured by the obligation to participate in certain tournaments.

And if you skip them, then there's a fine. That's what happened to Aryna Sabalenka herself last season for not complying with the stipulations of the regulations. How do they manage this situation? Looking at the rankings, surely the one from Minsk handles it better than the rest, although not even she escapes a sanction. This is what she explained on Thursday from Brisbane, just after securing her spot in the quarterfinals of the first tournament of the season.

Good victory against Cirstea

"It was a great match, she played very well, she was pushing hard all the time. I'm happy to have been focused from start to finish, Sorana is a player who can come back at any moment, so you have to stay very focused. Today, I think I did pretty well."

Did you struggle at the beginning of the match?

"It's just my face, it's the face I have, I was born with it (laughs). At the beginning of the match, I was struggling a little with the rhythm, trying to find the right rhythm and focus, that's all. I think after a couple of games, I started to play a little better, from there the level kept rising, but I never felt frustrated about anything. I was just trying to figure out my game for this match."

Seven games lost in two matches

"Of course, I prefer to win every match 6-0 6-0 than any other way, I guess that's what any player would want, even though at the end of the day you will only improve if your opponent pushes you and forces you to deal with pressure moments. Today, I practiced those moments very well, it's definitely better for my tennis to have matches where you have to overcome those kinds of things."

Aryna Sabalenka advances to Brisbane quarters. Source: Getty

Far from her best level

"There is always room for improvement, I'm definitely not at my best right now. Honestly speaking, I think there was only one match in Australia where I played really amazing tennis, where I showed my highest level. In the others, I was dealing with different things that weren't working on the court, overcoming many adversities in each match. For me, the focus is always the same: improve my game. I want to go out there and try new things, be a better player than last time."

Sabalenka criticizes the current WTA calendar

"The season is crazy, this is not good for us, as you see many players getting injured. The balls are also very heavy, so each one has their own struggle. When Serena did it, the rules were different. Now the calendar is heavier, this year I was penalized with points for not playing enough WTA 500 events, both me and Iga. If you play seven events and win them all, then it's phenomenal, but you can't predict that. Today, the rules are complicated with mandatory tournaments, that's why I skip some doubles tournaments to protect my body. Even though my results have been fairly consistent, there were tournaments where I played while sick or exhausted from overplaying. This season we will try to manage it better, even if they penalize me at the end of the season. You can't skip the WTA 1000 events, this complicates everything, what they are doing is insane. The circuit protects its interests, but it's not focused on protecting us."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka: “Este calendario es una locura, no puedes saltarte ningún WTA 1000”