Sabalenka to skip tournaments to protect her health despite WTA sanctions

Aryna Sabalenka says she expects to skip events again this year rather than put her health at risk over an "insane" season, even though she knows she may be sanctioned by the WTA Tour, Independent.co reported.

Under WTA rules top players must compete in the four Grand Slams, 10 WTA 1000 tournaments and six WTA 500 events, with penalties for missing them ranging from ranking points deductions to fines. In 2025 Sabalenka played just three WTA 500 events — Brisbane, Stuttgart and Berlin — and was among several high-ranked players docked points. She told reporters the season is "definitely insane" and said she will skip a couple of events "in order to protect my body," adding she sometimes played "completely sick" or exhausted and will try to manage her schedule better "even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season."

Sabalenka made the comments after beating Sorana Cirstea at the Brisbane International on Thursday. Both tours have faced criticism over their 11-month seasons and saw injury concerns rise during last year’s "Asian swing." In September the WTA told Reuters that athlete welfare is a top priority and that it had listened to views to improve the circuit structure in 2024 and boost compensation.

Key Topics

Sports, Aryna Sabalenka, Wta Tour, Brisbane International, Sorana Cirstea