The tennis season is 11 months long, and even though some fans tend to tune out after September’s US Open, there is a fall Asian swing that is critical in determining players’ year-end rankings.
That’s why it is significant that two top ranked players, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, announced this week that they are shutting down their seasons in favor of resting and recharging.
Elina Svitolina
World No. 13 Elina Svitolina posted an impressive 35-14 win-loss record this season. She won one title and was instrumental in getting Team Ukraine to the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals.
Elina Svitolina’s reaction after beating Badosa at Billie Jean King Cup
She drops her racquet & the crowd roars 🥹
For the first time in history, Ukraine is into the SF
What a proud moment these women are bringing to the brave people back home
💙💛
pic.twitter.com/e38vcCHKgW— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 17, 2025
Svitolina, 31, has come to a point in her career where she understands balance and emotional health are paramount. She is married to Gael Monfils and is a mom to Skai who will turn three next month.
She spoke out against online hat spewed at her for her Canadian Open quarterfinal loss to Naomi Osaka last month.
Beatriz Haddad Maia
Haddad Maia, 29, has played a lot of tennis in 2025 in singles and doubles. She posted a 16-26 singles and 23-11 doubles win-loss record this season. With partner Laura Siegemund, Beatriz Haddad Maia is the World No. 10 ranked doubles team.
HOW ABOUT THAT DEFENSE 😤
A spectacular point from Beatriz Haddad Maia.#KoreaOpen pic.twitter.com/KgruqzqpRB
— wta (@WTA) September 17, 2025
Her decision to shut down her season is signficant because she and Siegemund were in the running for the WTA Finals as one of the eight top ranked doubles teams.
It cannot be overstated that professional tennis has one of the longest and most physically demanding calendars in sports. 11 months of globetrotting travel, different climates, court conditions, surfaces, and balls make no tournament similar to another.
Players have long talked about the length of the season, and it is not as though significant tournaments are front-loaded into the beginning of the season. September and October have WTA1000 tournaments, where the winner earns the second highest number of ranking points behind Grand Slams. It is worth noting that 31-year-old Ons Jabeur, a two-time Wimbledon finalist, stepped away from the sport in July and 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medialist Sara Sorribes Tormo, 28, made a similar choice in April.
