发布时间: 1/9/2026
Image caption: Aryna Sabalenka is the defending champion in Brisbane
Aryna Sabalenka Blasts WTA’s "Insane" Calendar, Prioritizes Health Over Mandatory Events
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka didn’t hold back after her straight-sets win over Sorana Cirstea at the Brisbane International, calling out tennis authorities for putting their own interests ahead of player welfare. "They follow their interests and aren’t focusing on protecting all of us," she told reporters following her 6-3, 6-3 victory.
For months now, top players across the WTA tour have voiced growing frustration over the grueling schedule, which stretches far too long and pushes athletes to their physical limits. Leading women’s players are required to compete in at least 20 mandatory events annually—four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 tournaments, and six WTA 500s. But for Sabalenka, this demand is unsustainable, and she’s making a bold choice to skip some events this year to safeguard her body.
"The season is definitely insane, and you see so many players getting injured," Sabalenka emphasized. She also pointed to the heavy match balls as an additional strain, saying, "The balls are quite heavy, so it’s a lot of struggle for all of us." Last season, Sabalenka and World No.2 Iga Swiatek both lost ranking points because they didn’t participate in enough WTA 500 events. But this year, Sabalenka is prioritizing her health over rankings. "I’m skipping a couple of events to protect my body because I struggled a lot last season," she shared. "Even though the results were really consistent, some of the tournaments I had been playing completely sick or I’ve been really exhausted from overplaying. This season we will try to manage it a little bit better, even though they are going to fine me by the end."
Key Updates from Tournaments & Australian Open
Elena Rybakina kept her momentum going from last year, storming to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Spain’s Paula Badosa. The 2022 Wimbledon champion, who beat Sabalenka at the season-ending WTA Finals, is now gearing up to face Czech player Karolina Muchova for a spot in the Brisbane semi-finals—and she’s already being tipped as a strong contender for the Australian Open title.
Meanwhile, 2024 Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from this year’s tournament as she continues to recover from elbow surgery. The Olympic gold medalist took to Instagram to explain her decision: "To play a Grand Slam requires players to maintain an extreme competitive condition. I have not yet reached the best condition that I have set for myself."
On the men’s side of the Brisbane International, Britain’s Cameron Norrie suffered a second-round defeat, losing 7-6(7-4), 4-6, 6-4 to American Aleksandar Kovacevic, ranked No.58 in the world. Over in Auckland, former British No.1 Katie Boulter was eliminated in the second round, falling 7-5, 6-4 to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in a tightly contested match.