“The priority is always staying healthy”: Jessica Pegula to chair WTA Tour Architecture Council amid Dubai chaos

Jessica Pegula will chair the new WTA Tour Architecture Council, launched as the organisation responds to mounting concerns over its calendar structure. The decision arrives during a chaotic stretch at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where multiple withdrawals and retirements have intensified scrutiny over the demands placed on players.

Since Friday, 10 players have withdrawn from the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek. On Tuesday alone, Sara Bejlek, Barbora Krejcikova and Daria Kasatkina pulled out ahead of their second-round matches, while Paula Badosa and Ella Seidel retired during their respective contests, further thinning the draw.

The tournament’s disruption has unfolded against a backdrop of broader dissatisfaction with the calendar, particularly the concentration of mandatory events and the transition from the Australian Open directly into the Middle East swing. The 2026 schedule saw Melbourne start a week later than usual, compressing the early-season window and limiting recovery time.

Jessica Pegula, currently ranked world No. 5 and appointed chair of the new council, acknowledged the physical and mental demands players face throughout the season in comments to The National. “I can't knock any player that wants to make that decision for themselves,” the 2024 US Open runner-up said. “At the end of the day, we play a lot, we play a full schedule, we play 10, 11 months out of the year sometimes.”

“I think right now we're living in an age too where the priority is always staying healthy mentally and physically, and you never know where a player is at with that," Pegula added. "Even if they've been winning matches, you don't know if they've been dealing with an injury throughout that whole time or not. And that's where you see people, I think, especially top players, maybe be a little more choosy with that schedule until maybe it changes in the future.”

Pegula herself skipped the WTA 1000 event in Doha following the Australian Open, opting for rest rather than continuing through the Middle East swing without a break. Her decision reflected what she described as the cumulative effect of small calendar shifts over the course of a long season.

“I just think the way that the calendar worked this year, we got to go to Australia [a week] later, which we were all like, great, but then it catches up at some point in the year. So I think us having a week less, it definitely makes a difference,” the world No. 5 said.

Without speculating on individual cases in Dubai, Pegula pointed to the difficulty of assessing players’ physical states from the outside. “I don't personally know how they [the players who withdrew] are feeling physically, mentally, you never really know. But I know that the schedule is very tough, and it's not easy, and I think at some point in the year, if you do have a few good results, I think some weeks, unfortunately, do become a little bit of a sacrifice if you're thinking long term.”

The Tour Architecture Council will develop recommendations for the WTA board, with potential reforms targeted as early as the 2027 season. The group will initially focus on areas within the WTA’s direct authority, while also identifying longer-term structural changes that may require coordination across the sport.

In a letter released by the tour, WTA chair Valerie Camillo said player feedback during her first 90 days in the role had been consistent. “There has been a clear sentiment across the Tour that the current calendar does not feel sustainable for players given the physical, professional, and personal pressures of competing at the highest level.”

Camillo emphasized that any review must balance competitive standards with player wellbeing and commercial realities. “It's important we take a fresh, collaborative look at how to best preserve the high-quality competition that builds value for tournaments and provides an unparalleled experience for fans.”

Pegula, former world No. 3 and member of the WTA Players’ Council representing the top 20, will chair a body that includes player representatives such as Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sakkari, alongside tournament executives and WTA Tour leadership.

"This is a chance to focus on specific parts of the Tour structure and see what can be addressed in the short-term, while continuing the conversation on longer-term improvements in a dedicated, focused way," Pegula mentioned in the statement. "The WTA has the opportunity and standing to bring a group like this together and I'm grateful they're using that power to advance real change for 2027."

Jessica Pegula will lead the new Tour Architecture Council. The world No. 5, who has been ranked as high as No. 3 in her career, also represents top-20 players on the WTA Players’ Council and will chair the group.

WTA chair Valerie Camillo and WTA Tour CEO Portia Archer are part of the council, bringing leadership oversight from both the sporting and commercial sides of the organisation.

Several active players will also have a voice in the discussions, including former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sakkari, Katie Volynets and Anja Vreg.

Tournament organisers are represented by Laura Ceccarelli, Alastair Garland and Bob Moran, who oversee events across Asia-Pacific and the Americas, including WTA 1000 and 500 tournaments.

The WTA will also be represented internally by David Highhill (strategy), Ashley Keber (member relations) and Joan Pennello (tour operations), covering the tour’s planning and day-to-day management.