"They're not focusing on protecting all of us" - Aryna Sabalenka lambasts tennis authorities over 'insane' schedule

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has come out and slammed the tennis authorities over the increasingly packed tennis schedule which players have to compete in, complaining over the mandatory events the top athletes must partake in.

The players may be sounding like a broken record here, with Sabalenka not the first to share her thoughts on the scheduling and how much tennis is played throughout the year with there seemingly a big competition around every corner.

The likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud have all shared their two cents on the situation, all dissatisfied with the current format.

While competing in Brisbane, the Belarusian was very much ready to share her raw feelings on the amount of events. "The season is definitely insane, and that's not good for all of us as you see so many players getting injured and also the balls are quite heavy, so it's a lot of struggle for all of us," Sabalenka said.

There are a certain number of mandatory events for players on the WTA Tour to compete at. This includes the four Grand Slams, all 10 WTA 1000 tournaments and six 500 competitions. In total this is 20 events, with the WTA Finals thrown on the top if qualified for it. If you do not reach the underlined target, then ranking points will come off your overall tally. The lowest amount of points you collect from that certain competition will be swiped away, with significant changes in the rankings occurring in the past due to this.

Sabalenka used last season as a case study, unveiling that she will be missing a few tournaments to preserve her body. "The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I'm still doing that, I'm skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body because I struggled a lot last season," she admitted. "So this season we will try to manage it a little bit better, even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season."

She heavily criticised the tennis authorities over what seems as a lack of athlete welfare. "I think they just follow their interests," she said. "But they're not focusing on protecting all of us."

The WTA Tour has always said that player welfare will 'always remain a top priority,' but it seems that the players are not on the same boat as the organisers, with the debate set to continue.

While off court she is complaining, there is a lot of positive to speak about when on the court after a lightning quick start at the Brisbane International, with the title she won last year firmly in sight.

She matched her quickest win of her career in a commanding 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Spaniard Cristina Bucsa. It took just 48 minutes for Sabalenka to wrap up victory, winning 11 consecutive games in the process.

The four-time Grand Slam champion backed this up with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Sorana Cirstea. Despite very briefly going behind at the start, she had no problem in disposing of the Romanian, as she looks to keep up the good form going into her quarter-final tie, which is a repeat of the Australian Open final from last year. Madison Keys will be hoping to get another win over her rival, with a possible semi-final against Elena Rybakina on the cards. The other side of the draw is also hotly contested, with the likes of Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova possible challengers come the final showdown.