The WTA makes a move to combat the chaos of the calendar

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It had to happen this week, right after the director of the WTA 1000 in Dubai lamented the high number of withdrawals within the main draw. And why so many withdrawals? Because it's February, and some players already need a break to avoid problems before the end of the season.

To address this issue, Valerie Camillo, the new president of the WTA, announced the creation of the Tour Architecture Council, where efforts will be made to provide a more solid framework for women's tennis from the beginning, ensuring that the calendar, the foundation of everything, does not often become the main enemy of the players. It doesn't sound easy, nor will it be, but the creation of this new program is logical considering that this issue has been with us for a long time.

In fact, Valerie herself began her official communication by acknowledging the real problems that, once again, players are experiencing from within. "During my first 90 days on the tour, there has been a clear sentiment within the locker room pointing to the current calendar, an unsustainable calendar for the players given the physical, professional, and personal pressures that come with performing at the highest level. It is important for us to take a fresh and collaborative look at how to better preserve our high-quality competition, something that creates value for the tournaments and provides a unique experience for the fans," evaluated the president, who took on her new role at the end of 2025.

So, the Tour Architecture Council is now a reality, a representative working group convened by the WTA to develop significant improvements in the calendar, its commitments, and other core elements linked to the tour. Its mission will be to develop recommendations to be considered by the WTA Council, to further develop and begin implementing them starting in 2027. They will initially focus on areas where they have direct authority to drive this change, identifying long-term opportunities that require broader coordination from all branches.

Jessica Pegula, chosen to lead the new WTA organization

To bring order within this new council, Jessica Pegula has been chosen to lead. A president had to be chosen, and that will be the world No. 5, a veteran, involved, and someone always concerned about her colleagues and the well-being of the tour. The American will put her active perspective of the past decade at the service of everyone, as well as the exchange of opinions she has been cultivating with the others. She will help guide discussions so that everyone can have a voice and vote in these debates, while working with tournament representatives and WTA leadership.

"This year we managed to go to Australia a week later, so that was great, but it's true that it all evens out during the year. At the end, having one less week would make a difference. I really don't know how the players who retired here in Dubai are feeling, but I know the schedule is very tough; it's normal that if you're getting good results, you end up skipping some stops. Unfortunately, this ends up becoming a small sacrifice throughout the season," commented the Buffalo native in her initial statements about the new role.

Pegula also took the opportunity to defend her colleagues against the attacks from the director of the WTA in Dubai, who was furious after last-minute withdrawals by Sabalenka and Swiatek. "You can't attack any player for making this decision. The reality is we play a lot, a full calendar, nearly 11 months without a break. Right now, we are in a time where the priority is always to stay mentally and physically healthy, but you never know where each player stands. Even if you are winning matches, you don't know if that woman is dealing with an injury, which is why the top-ranked players are always more meticulous when defining their schedule," concluded the American.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La WTA mueve ficha para combatir el caos del calendario