“I’d say that…” Aryna Sabalenka demands change in Grand Slam schedule

Aryna Sabalenka hopes to get her season back on track after a heartbreaking loss in the Australian Open final.

“I’d say that…” Aryna Sabalenka demands change in Grand Slam schedule

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X)

Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1 tennis player, does not find the long break between Grand Slams too difficult but thinks a schedule change could help. She suggested that adjusting the timing between the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon might make the calendar smoother for players. Sabalenka believes this change could ease the pressure and improve performance.

Currently, there is a four-month gap between the Australian Open, which ends in late January or early February, and the French Open, which starts in late May. This is the longest break between any of the four majors. In contrast, there are only three weeks between the French Open and Wimbledon and about six weeks between Wimbledon and the US Open.

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I’d say that Indian Wells feels like a Grand Slam, and back to back Indian Wells and Miami. I love this tournament. For me, [it] feels pretty big. Psychologically, I think it’s not that tough. Middle East, especially if you play really well in Australia and you win a Grand Slam there or you make a final, you just need a little bit more time to recover, to have some time off, to have a good preparation. And for the last three seasons I’d say that Middle East was pretty tough for me, physically and mentally both. But March is good, and then there is Rome, Madrid, like beautiful tournaments. I don’t know. I’m not thinking about [it], I just love playing in those cities – and the atmosphere is great. But if they would probably put it a little bit closer, like, and give us a little bit more time in between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, it probably would be a little bit better. But, I mean, it is how it is.

Aryna Sabalenka said in her press conference (H/T: Reuters)

In the meantime, WTA players must compete in six WTA 1000 events. These include back-to-back tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami, followed by Madrid and Rome. There are also one-week events in Doha and Dubai. Sabalenka has struggled in these events this year, winning only one match.

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Sabalenka’s idea aims to create a more balanced calendar for players. By reducing the long gap between the Australian Open and the French Open, players could manage their schedules better and avoid burnout from back-to-back tournaments.

Aryna Sabalenka begins quest for Indian Wells crown

After a tough stretch of losing three of her last four matches, the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka started her hunt for a WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells with a strong win. The Belarusian player defeated McCartney Kessler in straight sets. She won 7-6, 6-3 in a match that lasted 1 hour and 32 minutes.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (via Instagram)

Kessler, ranked 48th in the world, was in good form after finishing as a runner-up at the WTA 250 event in Austin. She also had the support of local fans in California. The first set was close, with no breaks of serve. In the tie-break, Sabalenka lost her service point first but came back strong by winning four points in a row to take the set.

In the second set, Sabalenka kept up her powerful serving. She did not face any break points and managed to break Kessler’s serve twice. This helped her secure the win without much trouble.

Next, Sabalenka will play against Italian Lucia Bronzetti, who is ranked 62nd in the world. Bronzetti reached the third round by beating Poland’s Magdalena Frech with scores of 6-3, 7-5.