Aryna Sabalenka Questions Dubai Return

Sabalenka after winning Indian Wells

World number one Aryna Sabalenka unsure about returning to Dubai Championships after tournament director criticized her withdrawal.

Sabalenka responds to Dubai director's criticism, says she's prioritizing health over tournament demands...

Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, is unsure if she'll return to the Dubai Championships after its director criticized her withdrawal this year. The tournament director, Salah Tahlak, suggested stricter penalties for late pullouts, including ranking points deductions, which Sabalenka called “ridiculous.”

Sabalenka's Frustration

Sabalenka withdrew due to a minor hip injury, but Tahlak's comments left her feeling disrespected. She believes tournament directors prioritize sales over player welfare, saying “They just care about their tournament and that's it.”

Support from Fellow Player

Coco Gauff, the world number four, supports Sabalenka, saying she and Iga Swiatek have played Dubai many times and didn't pull out for personal reasons. Gauff adds that the demanding schedule is causing injuries and affecting match quality.

Aryna Sabalenka cited a minor hip injury for pulling out of the tournament last month, just before the US-Israeli war with Iran escalated tensions in the region.

Dubai tournament director Salah Tahlak described Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek's withdrawals as an “unfortunate surprise” for organisers, adding that they would seek strict action for late withdrawals, including docking ranking points. “It was an unfortunate surprise for us,” Tahlak told The National.

“I think it's ridiculous,” ⁠Belarusian Sabalenka told reporters at the Miami ‌Open on Tuesday.

“I don't think he showed himself in the best way possible. For me it's actually so sad to see that the tournament directors and the tournaments not protecting us as players. They just care about their (sales), about their tournament and that's it.

“His comment was ridiculous. I'm not sure if I ever want to go there after his comment. For me it's too much.”

Top players like Sabalenka and Swiatek are required to compete in key tournaments under WTA rules, with penalties for no-shows including ranking points penalties and fines. World number four Coco Gauff is calling for understanding on the withdrawals, saying players face tough decisions.

“I joust feel Iga and Aryna have played that tournament so many times and it wasn't anything personal to it,” Gauff said.

“It's tough. We're trying our best to play the calendar. I completely understand why she (Sabalenka) would feel like that because the comments were unnecessary.”

Players Face Tough Decisions

The men's and women's tours have faced criticism for their grueling 11-month seasons, with several matches in the Asian swing unable to be completed due to injuries last year. This has put pressure on players like Sabalenka to prioritize their well-being.

New from me in Miami:

Aryna Sabalenka blasted WTA 1000 Dubai tournament director Salah Tahlak for his "ridiculous" comments after she withdrew from his event last month, and threatened not to return to his tournament.

Read at Bounces:https://t.co/bQCgsChGlo

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 17, 2026

Sabalenka's New Approach

Aryna Sabalenka, fresh from winning the Indian Wells title, is being more selective this season to cope with the demands of the circuit. “I've decided to be more selective this year,” she said, aiming to defend her Miami trophy while prioritizing her health.

“Going into this season, we decided ... to prioritise my health and make sure we have these little gaps in the schedule where I can reset, recharge, work and be better prepared for bigger tournaments,” said Sabalenka, who also skipped Doha.

“I feel like the scheduling is going crazy and that's ⁠why you see so many players ⁠injured, always taped and not delivering ‌the best quality matches because it's almost impossible.”