World number one Aryna Sabalenka criticises the gruelling tennis calendar, saying she will skip mandatory events to protect her body despite fines.
BRISBANE: World number one Aryna Sabalenka has accused tennis authorities of failing to prioritise player welfare over what she called an “insane” season.
Speaking at the Brisbane International, the Belarusian said she was prepared to be fined for missing mandatory tournaments to protect her health.
“The season is definitely insane, and that’s not good for all of us as you see so many players getting injured,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion.
She added that the heavy balls used on tour contributed to the physical struggle for players.
Sabalenka stated she would skip events this season to manage her body better after struggling last year.
“I’m skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body because I struggled a lot last season,” she said.
She acknowledged the tour’s rules on mandatory events were “quite tricky”.
The player expects to be fined by the end of the season for her planned absences.
“I think they just follow their interests,” Sabalenka said of the tour organisers.
“But they’re not focusing on protecting all of us.”
The number of events on the calendar has been a frequent complaint among top players recently.
Men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz has also voiced concern about his playing load.
Alcaraz is scheduled to play a lucrative exhibition match against Jannik Sinner in South Korea on Saturday.
That match comes just a week before the start of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
There was no immediate response from the WTA Tour to Sabalenka’s comments.
