Dubai Director and Players Clash Over “Insane” Calendar – Tennis Now
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships opened this week under a cloud of controversy that has exposed a widening chasm between tournament organizers and the sport’s elite stars. In an interview with veteran tennis journalist Reem Abulleil for The National, tournament director Salah Tahlak voiced his “unfortunate surprise” at the eleventh-hour withdrawals of World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, questioning the validity of their reasons and calling for a radical shift in how the WTA penalizes its top talent.
Tahlak’s frustration stems from what he perceives as a lack of accountability in the current system. “I think there should be a harsher punishment on the players [for withdrawing], not just fines; they should be docked ranking points,” Tahlak told Abulleil. He argued that financial fines are negligible for stars of this magnitude, suggesting that docking substantial points is the only deterrent that would be truly “felt.” He even revealed that the tournament doctor characterized Sabalenka’s hip issue as too minor to warrant a withdrawal, while labeling Swiatek’s cited reason—a lack of mental readiness—as “strange.”
Tahlak’s remarks have been met with a firm defense from the locker room, highlighting a perceived tone-deafness regarding player burnout. Coco Gauff, speaking during her pre-tournament press conference, pushed back against the director’s proposal.
“I don’t think it’s fair for players to get docked points,” Gauff stated. “I think, if anything, we should have an optional 1000 like the men do with Monte-Carlo. Yeah, I think that’s a little bit harsh in my opinion.”
Gauff emphasized that players aren’t skipping events on a whim, but are battling the physical and mental toll of a calendar that has expanded several WTA 1000s into two-week marathons.
“You look at burnout throughout the year. Although maybe it might not affect you now, it will affect you later,” she added.
This standoff was foreshadowed last month in Melbourne. Swiatek openly admitted that she was “trying to change her approach” this year and would “for sure skip some 1000 tournaments” to prioritize technical improvement and health over ranking preservation. Swiatek noted that “unless I want to stay, like, the same,” she must find windows in the calendar that the current mandatory schedule simply does not provide.
As Tahlak prepares to lobby for stricter sanctions at an upcoming meeting in Rome, the tension in Dubai serves as a stark reminder: while tournaments suffer when their headliners vanish, the players are increasingly choosing longevity over a rulebook they believe is at a breaking point.
