Aryna Sabalenka is wrapping up her first official event of the year, but it's already looking like a tough year. According to Sabalenka, if the schedule remains as hectic, she may be forced to make difficult decisions.

“The rules are misleading and complicated. Last year I was punished in the rankings for not playing enough WTA 500 tournaments. But this year I’ll play less even if I get fined, to protect my body,” said Sabalenka. 

It's something Serena Williams once did, who reduced her tournament load to focus on major events during her peak. However, the mandatory WTA 500 events and the penalties for missing them have become a concern. Last season, Sabalenka played 16 events, ending the year on the Battle of the Sexes.

“Yes, my results were very consistent, but I played some tournaments while completely sick or extremely exhausted. This season, we’re going to manage that much better... 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.”

Aryna Sabalenka isn’t the only one talking about the intense and long tennis seasons. Previously, Iga Swiatek also shed some light on the issue, claiming, “There’s no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year.”

Is that the reason why she seemed tense during her recent matches?

Aryna Sabalenka Assessed Her Win at Brisbane International

Following her win over Sorana Cristea in Brisbane, Sabalenka confessed, “At the beginning, I struggled a little bit with the rhythm, and I was just trying to find the rhythm and the focus, like, the right focus. And that’s it.

She said the process wasn't frustrating and described it as part of learning her own game.

“I think there is always room to improve, and I’m definitely not at my peak,” the world #1 concluded. 

Sabalenka’s comments framed her Brisbane run as a warning, not a celebration. By choosing rest over compliance, she reinforced why the tennis season now demands difficult trade-offs from its biggest stars.  

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar