The Association of Tennis Professionals renewed its criticism of the match schedule on Monday, pointing out the withdrawal of world No. 1 Elena Rybakina from the season-ending WTA Finals because "her body could no longer give more." Rybakina, the defending champion, stated last Saturday that she was not physically ready to participate in the tournament, while organizers attributed her withdrawal to a viral illness.
Rybakina, who won two Grand Slam titles this year, also withdrew from the quarterfinals of the Tokyo tournament last month due to a neck injury. The association posted on social media regarding Rybakina: "She ends 2026 with two Grand Slam titles, four in total. However, with the season-ending tournament organized in November, her body can no longer give more, and players should not reach the biggest tournament of the year in a state of total exhaustion."
Season Pressures
The association continues to push for a season that allows players to maintain their health sufficiently to finish the season. The Women's Tennis Association did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. The association previously stated that player welfare is a top priority and that it has listened to their opinions regarding the tournament schedule.
Player Reality
Concerns are mounting regarding the increasing match burden on players in ATP tournaments, as American Taylor Fritz clarified last Sunday that the short rest period between seasons gives players little chance to recover. Speaking on "The Running Interview," he said: "It is simply a life that continues year-round, hour by hour. We have a one-month break, and if you take this period as vacation, you will enter the year without having trained enough."
He added: "You can actually get no more than two weeks of rest at most, and after that, you must return to training. So, practically, we get absolutely no rest time. You literally live traveling with your suitcase." The ATP confirmed that players retain the freedom to choose their tournaments and matches, and that it is working to establish incentives to ensure players participate in an appropriate number of matches during the season.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
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