Aryna Sabalenka calls for fewer mandatory events after Carlos Alcaraz flags burnout: "It's super intense"
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Aryna Sabalenka has played 51 matches this season
World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus has backed Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz‘s call for a lighter tennis calendar, saying players may soon have to give up ranking points to keep their bodies in one piece.
Alcaraz had said earlier that the schedule is too demanding and that he plans to start taking long breaks from the sport, warning that if the ATP and WTA don’t cut mandatory events, players will have to sacrifice points and ranking position to protect themselves.
Sabalenka, speaking to the press at the US Open, shared those concerns almost word for word.
“I would love to see changes in the schedule and to cut out the mandatory events and let the players decide what’s better for their health,” Sabalenka said. “It’s been super intense. Especially if you play at the level that Carlos is playing – basically very consistent – it’s very tricky for the body.”
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Sabalenka didn’t stop there. “If they’re not gonna cut it, we’ll have to sacrifice points, ranking position, whatever, in order to protect our bodies,” she added. “I think it would be really helpful from WTA and ATP to kind of ease up a little bit the schedule for us in order to really support our health.”
Her comments came after she cruised past Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-4 in the third round, stretching her US Open winning streak to 16 matches.
How has Sabalenka’s season gone so far?
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Despite the fatigue she’s talking about, Sabalenka’s 2026 numbers tell the story of a player still dominating the tour. She’s 43-8 for the season, with a 91 per cent win rate on hard courts (30-3), 73 per cent on clay (8-3) and 71 per cent on grass (5-2).
She’s picked up titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells and Miami this year, reached the Australian Open final, made the semis in Berlin, and went out in the quarter-finals at Madrid and the French Open. She also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, Toronto and Cincinnati, and the third round in Rome.
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Currently ranked world number one, with a career-high mark set back on September 11, 2023, Sabalenka has also racked up four Grand Slam titles, 24 main tour titles, four ITF titles and two minor titles.
At the US Open, she’s chasing something no woman has done since Serena Williams’ three-peat from 2012 to 2014: a third straight title at Flushing Meadows. Her next opponent will be Taylor Townsend of the USA.
How has Aryna Sabalenka performed at the 2026 US Open so far?
She beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 in the third round, extending her US Open winning streak to 16 straight matches. She’s chasing a third consecutive US Open title, a feat no woman has achieved since Serena Williams won three in a row from 2012 to 2014.
Why did Aryna Sabalenka say players might have to sacrifice ranking points?
She was responding to Carlos Alcaraz’s comments that the tennis schedule is too demanding. Sabalenka agreed, saying that if the ATP and WTA don’t cut mandatory events, players will have to give up points and ranking to protect their health, since the current calendar is “very tricky for the body” at the level she and Alcaraz compete.
How many Grand Slam singles titles has Aryna Sabalenka won?
Sabalenka has won four Grand Slam singles titles to date, including a couple of US Open titles.
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