Coco Gauff Escapes as WTA Heavily Punishes Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek for Breaking Tour Rules
The women’s tennis season is closing on a dramatic note as the WTA has imposed significant penalties on the sport’s top two players, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, for violating its mandatory tournament participation policy. The two stars—who have been vocal about the exhausting calendar—have now paid a steep price for skipping events, while American star Coco Gauff managed to avoid fresh sanctions this time around.
The controversy began when both Swiatek and Sabalenka chose not to compete in the minimum required number of WTA 500 tournaments this season. According to the tour’s regulations, players ranked in the top tier must participate in at least six WTA 500 events each year unless sidelined by injury or granted an exemption for personal reasons. The rule aims to ensure fairness, encourage fan engagement, and maintain competitive balance throughout the season. Violating this rule triggers what the WTA calls “zero-pointers,” where a player’s ranking points from another event are replaced with a zero for each missed tournament.
In Swiatek’s case, she had openly expressed concern about her packed schedule and ongoing physical struggles. During the China Open last month, the Polish star admitted she was nearing her limit. “Maybe I will have to choose some tournaments and skip them, even though they are mandatory,” she confessed. The world No. 2 has long advocated for a lighter season to prioritize player health and longevity, noting that the intensity of the modern tour leaves little room for rest and recovery.
Aryna Sabalenka, the current world No. 1, also voiced similar frustrations. “The scheduling is crazy—it’s really tough to handle,” the Belarusian star said in a post-match interview earlier this year. Despite their warnings and repeated pleas for reform, both players now find themselves penalized by the very system they criticized.
As reported by Polish journalist Dominik Senkowski, the WTA confirmed that Sabalenka and Swiatek suffered significant ranking point deductions as part of the disciplinary action. “I have received confirmation from the WTA that Sabalenka will have 9,870 points tomorrow and Iga will have 8,195,” Senkowski announced on X (formerly Twitter). “Aryna will lose 120 points for Dubai and 400 for the WTA Finals—they previously deducted 10 for Doha. This is due to penalty points for not playing in the WTA 500s. Iga will lose 508 points—108 for Stuttgart and 400 for the WTA Finals.”
In total, Sabalenka lost 520 ranking points, while Swiatek dropped 508. Though these are not minor deductions, both stars have managed to hold their ground in the standings. Sabalenka remains at the top of the rankings with 9,870 points, while Swiatek follows closely behind with 8,195.
Interestingly, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, and Madison Keys were also subjected to earlier point reductions—10, 10, and 54 points respectively—but only Gauff avoided any additional penalties in the latest update. Gauff, currently ranked third in the world, remains unaffected this week despite having lost 1,300 points earlier from her WTA Finals title defense in 2024. Her total now stands at 6,563 points, putting her a considerable distance behind the top two contenders.
This development underscores the tension between player welfare and organizational policies within the WTA. While the tour insists that its rules are necessary to maintain the integrity and visibility of women’s tennis, players have increasingly pushed back, citing burnout and overexertion. Swiatek’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among athletes that the calendar demands too much from players competing week after week on different surfaces and continents.
Despite the penalties, the overall hierarchy of the women’s game remains unchanged. Sabalenka’s lead over Swiatek—now 1,675 points—is mathematically insurmountable, even with the WTA Finals still to come. The season-ending championship offers a maximum of 1,500 points to the winner, but that is not enough for Swiatek to catch up. As a result, Sabalenka has effectively secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking for 2025, marking a career-defining achievement.
Swiatek, meanwhile, remains philosophical about her position. She has previously stated that maintaining top form throughout the year is nearly impossible given the current structure of the tour. “Sometimes you have to choose your health over everything else,” she said after her withdrawal from a summer tournament. Her stance reflects a broader issue that the WTA may need to address in the future—finding a balance between commercial interests and the physical demands placed on elite athletes.
For now, the penalties serve as a warning to other players about the importance of adhering to tour obligations. Yet they also highlight an ongoing debate within women’s tennis: should success be measured purely by performance, or should the system adapt to prioritize the well-being of players who carry the sport’s global appeal?
As the 2025 WTA Finals approach, all eyes will remain on Sabalenka and Swiatek—not just for their on-court performances, but for how their stances might influence the tour’s policies moving forward. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff’s steady rise and avoidance of penalties have only solidified her reputation as one of the most disciplined and consistent young stars in the game.
In a season marked by intense rivalries, exhaustion, and controversy, the message from the WTA is clear: no player, no matter how dominant, is above the rules. But as the world’s best continue to push the limits of endurance, the question remains—how much longer can the system stay the same before change becomes inevitable?
