Tennis icon Billie Jean King, along with two former professionals, has identified player burnout as a significant issue in modern tennis. They emphasized that any reforms to the schedule would need to balance the diverse needs of elite players with the commercial pressures faced by tournaments.
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Currently, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) mandates that players ranked in the top 30 participate in all Grand Slam events and ten WTA 1000 tournaments each season. Missing these mandatory events can lead to ranking penalties and substantial financial fines that jeopardize players' standings and commercial opportunities.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka criticized the WTA schedule as "insane," stating her intention to skip certain mandatory events to prioritize her physical health, despite the potential repercussions. Similarly, six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek referred to the current calendar as "madness" and has plans to scale back her commitments in 2026 to focus on rest and improving her game.