Defending her title was always the goal for Aryna Sabalenka in Brisbane, and she made it look routine against Marta Kostyuk. The Belarusian blazed past her counterpart with a 6-4, 6-3 win in 1 hour and 17 minutes, but the story didn’t end there. Moments later, the Belarusian locked eyes with her opponent and kissed both biceps, a gesture that quickly drew attention.

Despite the high-quality final, the post-match atmosphere felt tense. Kostyuk did not acknowledge Sabalenka at the net. The moment reflected the broader political tension linked to Belarus’s role in the ongoing conflict involving Ukraine. Sabalenka’s action was widely seen as a response to past comments made by Kostyuk. The Ukrainian had previously spoken about Sabalenka’s physical strength and higher testosterone levels. Kostyuk later said her remarks were misunderstood and taken out of context.

The Ukrainian instead spoke about her homeland during the ceremony. “I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” Kostyuk said. “I play every day with a pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now. It’s -20 degrees outside right now, so it’s very, very painful to live this reality every day.” She added, “I was incredibly moved and happy to see so many Ukrainian fans and flags here this week … Slava Ukraini.”

Sabalenka applauded the speech, and the players held separate photo sessions, unlike usual finalists. 

On court, she let her tennis do the talking. The world No. 1 did not drop a single set all week in Brisbane.

The win marked Sabalenka’s fifth title on Australian soil in seven finals. That tally includes two Australian Open trophies, and her form in Brisbane has strengthened her status as a leading contender for another deep run in Melbourne.

The Belarusian, however, congratulated Kostyuk and said she hoped to face her again in a future final. She also made a light-hearted remark about her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis. “Hopefully, soon I will call you somehow else. That just put extra pressure, right?” 

And as she now won her first title of 2026, Sabalenka remains focused while acknowledging the wider conversations surrounding the sport.

Aryna Sabalenka slams insane tennis schedule amid growing player concerns

Aryna Sabalenka raised concerns about the tennis calendar after reaching the Brisbane International quarterfinals. She defeated Sorana Cîrstea 6-3, 6-3 and then spoke openly during her post-match news conference. 

Sabalenka was asked if she could follow a lighter schedule like Serena Williams once did. She made it clear that this approach is no longer realistic. Mandatory tournament rules leave players with little flexibility across the season.

She explained that skipping the required WTA 1000 events brings penalties. Missing six WTA 500 tournaments also leads to consequences. Last year, Sabalenka and world No. 2 Iga Świątek both lost ranking points for not meeting 500-level requirements.

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Players can also face fines depending on when and why they withdraw. Sabalenka stressed that these rules make recovery difficult. Injuries and exhaustion are becoming more common across the tour.

“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. It’s a lot of struggle for all of us,” Sabalenka said Thursday. She pointed to both physical strain and scheduling density.

She added, “The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I’m still skipping a coupleof  events to protect my body, because I struggled a lot last season.” Sabalenka admitted she often played while sick or exhausted despite strong results.

“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 said. “But it’s tricky to do that. You cannot skip a 1,000 event. It’s really tricky, and I think that’s insane what they do.”

Sabalenka believes decision-makers prioritize their own interests. “I think they just follow their interests, but they’re not focusing on protecting all of us.” Her comments echoed Świątek’s remarks from September, when she called the schedule “a madness” and said it was “impossible to fit everything in the calendar.” 

With Brisbane ending on tense notes, questions now surround where the WTA season is headed next.