Tennis world number one Aryna Sabalenka has hit back at the 'ridiculous' criticism of her late withdrawal from the Dubai Championships.
On 13 February, both Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, world number two at the time, pulled out of the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships just two days before it started.
Sabalenka officially withdrew from the competition and the following WTA 1000 event in Doha due to a right hip injury, as confirmed by a tournament doctor.
After the pair pulled out, the Dubai Championships tournament director Salah Tahlak suggested that top players who pull out of events at the last minute should face harsher punishments, suggesting both fines and ranking points deductions could be imposed.
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Now, Sabalenka has responded to his comments, suggesting that she may never again play in the tournament due to the 'ridiculous' reaction to her withdrawal.
"I don't think he showed himself in the best way possible," claimed the four-time Grand Slam champion.
"It's actually so sad to see that the tournament directors and the tournaments not protecting us as players. They just care about their [sales], about their tournament and that's it.
"I'm not sure if I ever want to go there after his comment. For me, it's too much."
Last week, Sabalenka returned to the court for the first time since losing the final of the Australian Open in January, as she won the Indian Wells title on Sunday
She continued, claiming that taking breaks in the busy tennis schedule is vital in allowing her to focus on 'bigger tournaments' such as the Miami Open, where she will defend her title this week.
"Going into this season, we decided... to prioritise my health and make sure we have these little gaps in the schedule where I can reset, recharge, work and be better prepared for bigger tournaments," Sabalenka added.
"I feel like the scheduling is going crazy and that's why you see so many players injured, always taped and not delivering the best quality matches because it's almost impossible."
Coco Gauff reacts to Sabalenka's outburst following her Dubai Championships withdrawal
Following Sabalenka's response to Tahlak's comments about her and Swiatek withdrawing from the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, several of the other big names in women's tennis have been asked to weigh in.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff said: "Iga and Aryna have played that tournament so many times and it wasn't anything personal to it.
"It's tough. We're trying our best to play the calendar. I completely understand why she would feel like that because the comments were unnecessary."
Topics:Ā Tennis
Ben McCrum