Djokovic was penalized under the new ATP rules, and Sabalenka’s battle to defend her world No.1 status has already begun in January?

With the new season underway, the initial reaction was that top players appeared burdened with concerns even before playing a single match.

Last year, the ATP’s introduction of new rules aimed at reducing top players’ workload was praised by fans and online communities as a milestone win, responding to Alcaraz, Zverev, and others’ vocal complaints about the excessive length of the season.

The ATP’s new regulations include three key points: the total number of tournaments counting toward rankings is reduced from 19 to 18; apart from the four Grand Slams and eight mandatory Masters 1000 events, the number of other tournaments counted in best results drops from seven to six; and for top 30 players, the required number of ATP 500 events decreases from five to four.

Although the ATP’s new rules still fall short of the expected schedule shortening, many see the ATP’s willingness to compromise as a positive signal, with further adjustments possible over time.

What was initially seen as good news turned sour when, after the new rules took effect on December 29, 2025, top players ended up being “hurt” by them.

Because one best result was removed, several top ATP players, including Djokovic, were directly penalized with point deductions.

Although Djokovic’s 10-point deduction isn’t large, some expressed dissatisfaction, noting that the Serbian star already participates in fewer tournaments, so losing points due to the new ATP rules “still feels upsetting.”

Among the top ten players, five suffered the largest point losses: Zverev, Musetti, and Fritz each lost 50 points; Alcaraz and De Minaur each lost 55 points.

It is also worth mentioning that Shelton was deducted 10 points.

Looking at the current point deductions among top players, except for Alcaraz, Sinner, and Draper who were unaffected, seven of the top ten have been impacted to varying degrees by the new rules. Fortunately, these deductions did not cause any shifts in the top ten rankings, and all players retained their positions.

After the new season began, Sabalenka faced new challenges related to defending her points. Unlike the ATP top players, she is engaged in a points defense battle, and her performance in January could directly determine whether she retains the world No.1 ranking after the Australian Open, triggering immediate alarm.

As one of the best-performing female players in January 2025, with a Brisbane 500 title and Australian Open runner-up finish, she has as many as 1800 points to defend in January 2026.

If Sabalenka falters in either of these two tournaments this year, Iga Swiatek, who poses a serious threat to her No.1 spot, could overtake her quickly if she performs well at the United Cup and Australian Open, since the points gap between them is not yet significant.

However, some fans and netizens believe that even if Sabalenka slips in Brisbane, as long as she plays well at the Australian Open, she should be able to maintain her No.1 ranking in January for two reasons: first, Sabalenka has reached the Australian Open final for three consecutive years, suggesting she won’t perform poorly this year; second, Swiatek also has 1105 points to defend in January, so she faces considerable pressure too.

Interestingly, the heated discussion concluded that the person most at risk in January is not Sabalenka but Keys.

Keys, who won the Adelaide 500 last year and after escaping several crises, finally triumphed at the Australian Open to fulfill her Grand Slam dream, now has as many as 2500 points to defend this year.

Many currently worry most about Keys because the American’s form is not very strong, and if she fails to defend those points, she may become the first top player to fall behind after the Australian Open.

Though overall analysis suggests Sabalenka’s crisis is not yet overwhelming, based on her outstanding performances last year, her supporters still stress that every month of the 2026 season will be a huge test. Besides the pressure to defend points, her No.1 status faces challenges from many players, including Swiatek, third-ranked Anisimova who has only 130 points to defend in January, and fifth-ranked Rybakina who aims for the top spot.

For Sabalenka, holding onto her big points in January is crucial, as it will alleviate some of the pressure later; otherwise, any slip could quickly cost her the world No.1 crown.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Starry Sky)