World number one Aryna Sabalenka praised on Friday the WTA's mission to highlight the personalities of its athletes and called Saudi Arabia's investment in the women's tennis tour an important part of growing the game.

Iga Swiatek credited lower-ranked players before explaining why the WTA schedule is a larger factor in top-ranked players getting upset.

The MGM Rewards Slam will feature the WTA’s No. 1-ranked women’s player, Aryna Sabalenka, and the ATP’s No. 2-ranked men’s player, Alexander Zverev.

Yet, Sabalenka has not been herself lately. Not only is she in a slump after making it to the Australian Open finals, but she is showing signs of fatigue and frustration. Sabalenka is far from the only top-ranked player to struggle during the Middle East swing of the WTA schedule.

The No. 2 seed pointed to the tight turnaround from the Australian Open as a factor in Middle East exits from top players like herself, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff.