Aryna Sabalenka will appear at her first tour-level event since Wimbledon when facing Marketa Vondrousova in her opening match at the Cincinnati Open.
The Belarusian enjoyed a lengthy campaign at the All England Club, recording her joint-best finish by reaching the semifinals.
After dropping just one set at Wimbledon en route to the final four, Sabalenka ultimately lost to Amanda Anisimova over three sets on Centre Court.
She did not feature at the WTA events in Washington or Montreal, and explained why in her pre-tournament press conference.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty ImagesAryna Sabalenka makes complaint about the WTA Tour
Ahead of her first match at the Cincinnati Open, Sabalenka said: “This season has been really intense and it’s impossible to be on your best level every day of every week. I felt like I was getting really exhausted, even at Paris.
“Of course, I was excited and motivated. Nothing about that, but I felt like okay I’m getting really exhausted and then I came to Wimbledon because it was a really short break and it was really getting worse and worse.
“So I felt like maybe I just need to step back and take a little break and just chill and recharge and start everything over again.
“The main focus is at the US Open and I didn’t want to get to the US Open completely exhausted and then get injured because that’s what happened last year at Wimbledon.
“So we are just trying to manage the energy a bit better because the schedule is really intense. It’s crazy what they are trying to make us do.
“We are humans, like it’s impossible to handle this intensity. Every week there is a mandatory tournament, the schedule is crazy, honestly.
“We just started trying to manage the energy better. Make sure that mentally and physically I’m healthy and ready to compete.
“So we knew before Wimbledon that most likely I am going to take a break but in our life everything depends on the result.
“If I had lost first round at Wimbledon, probably I wouldn’t skip these tournaments because I would have those days off.”
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty ImagesAryna Sabalenka’s results on the WTA Tour this season
Though it has been a busy year for Sabalenka, the 27-year-old has managed to secure three titles during the 2025 season.
She won her first crown at the Brisbane International in January, beating Polina Kudermetova in the final to hoist the championship.
After suffering near misses in the final of both the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Open, Sabalenka emerged victorious in Miami.
During the clay swing, she clinched her third title of the year, beating Coco Gauff in straight sets to win the Madrid Open.
Since then, Sabalenka has gone without a trophy and will now look to get back in the win column in Cincinnati.