{"id":95334,"date":"2026-01-09T08:15:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T13:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=95334"},"modified":"2026-01-08T16:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T21:10:10","slug":"sabalenka-explains-why-serena-scheduling-strategy-no-longer-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/01\/09\/sabalenka-explains-why-serena-scheduling-strategy-no-longer-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Aryna Sabalenka Explains Why Serena Williams’ Scheduling Strategy No Longer Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aryna Sabalenka<\/a>\u2019s 2026 season has gotten off to a perfect start on the court, as she is into the quarterfinals of the WTA Brisbane International tournament, having dropped no sets and lost a combined seven games across her first two matches.<\/p>\n

While much of the recent conversation surrounding the world No. 1 has been focused on her \u201cBattle of the Sexes<\/a>\u201d exhibition, Sabalenka\u2019s official tournament play has seen her begin the year looking as dominant as ever ahead of the Australian Open.<\/p>\n

Sabalenka Talks 2026 Schedule<\/h2>\n

Dominance Meets Calendar Pressure<\/h3>\n

Simultaneously, the debate over the tennis season schedule and calendar has intensified, particularly after both tours introduced rules requiring every player, regardless of ranking, to play at least 500-level tournaments, alongside the Masters and Slams.<\/p>\n

This has affected the very best players the most. Because they routinely make deep runs, they often miss required events due to physical limits, resulting in docking of prize money or ranking points \u2014 the latter being the case for both Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek last year.<\/p>\n

Sabalenka on Why Serena\u2019s Model Fails<\/h3>\n

When asked whether she could manage her schedule and skip tournaments selectively, as Serena Williams did during the 2010s, Sabalenka explained how much the rules have changed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe season is definitely insane, and that\u2019s not good for all of us, as you see so many players getting injured, and also the balls are quite heavy, so it\u2019s a struggle for all of us. But what Serena did, the rules were different. Right now, like last season, by the end of the season, because I didn\u2019t play enough of 500 events, they fine us with points, me and Iga\u2026 The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the penalties attached to doing so, Sabalenka admitted she will still prioritize her long-term health to extend her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still doing that, like, I\u2019m skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body, because I struggled a lot last season. Even though the results were really consistent, some of the tournaments I had been playing completely sick, or I\u2019ve 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 of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>