Fine Me All You Want! Sabalenka To Skip Tournaments In 2026; Blasts WTA For 'Insane' Tennis Schedule

Aryna Sabalenka has made it clear she will not sacrifice her body to survive what she calls an “insane” tennis calendar, even if it means fines or ranking points penalties from the WTA.

The world number one, speaking after her straight-sets win over Sorana Cirstea at the Brisbane International, admitted she expects to skip tournaments again this season to protect her health, despite strict WTA rules around mandatory events.

Under current regulations, top players are required to compete in all four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 tournaments and six WTA 500 events. Missing them can result in fines or deductions in ranking points.

Sabalenka felt that sting in 2025, when she played just three WTA 500 events and was docked points, alongside world number two

Iga Swiatek.

“The season is definitely insane, and that’s not good for all of us,” Sabalenka said. “You see so many players getting injured.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion revealed she often competed last season while sick or completely exhausted, despite producing consistent results.

“I struggled a lot last season. Some tournaments I played completely sick, or I was really exhausted from overplaying,” she said.

While she knows penalties are likely, Sabalenka insists managing her workload is non-negotiable.

“I’m still skipping a couple of events to protect my body. Even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season, we’ll try to manage it better.”

Sabalenka also criticised the lack of flexibility in the current system. “You cannot skip 1000 events. It’s really tricky, and I think that’s insane what they do. They follow their interests, but they’re not focusing on protecting us.”

The Belarusian, a two-time Australian Open champion and one of the favourites again this year, has started 2026 strongly in Brisbane. But despite her form, she believes something has to change.