Prize money not enough, rules too stupid & schedule too long: WTA top star racks up complaints before Australian Open

WTA top star Karolina Muchova has expressed her frustration with several issues in the tennis world. As the 2026 season and the Australian Open approaches, the Czech player has racked up complaints about the prize money, the rules and the lengthy tournament schedule.

Muchova, a former World No.8, first established herself as a rising star in the tennis world in 2019, when she made it to the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships and broke into Top 30. Since then the 29-year-old has gone on to register a runners-up finish at the 2023 French Open, while also making multiple semifinals appearances at the hard court Majors.

Recently, Karolina Muchova sat down with Forbes for an interview and shared her complaints for the tennis world. The Czechia stated that tennis players earn less than their peers, saying,

“Now almost all Grand Slams start on Sunday, which means an extra day of earnings for them. Compared to other sports, the amount we take home is very low.”

She went on to slam the strict participation rules for top players as ‘stupid’, explaining,

"The season is extreme. The rules are very strict: we have six mandatory WTA 500 tournaments and all the WTA 1000s, most of which last two weeks, plus the Grand Slams. If I had to do everything without penalties, I'd fly to Australia and not come home until November. Sometimes you even play injured to avoid fines or penalties; it happened to me this year. There are a lot of stupid rules.”

Muchova emphasised that the lengthy tournament calendar makes it impossible for players to prioritise their health, adding,

“A full schedule is impossible to manage long-term without it affecting your health, especially your mental health. Every year something new is added; the pace is very strict. Finding gaps in the schedule is almost impossible: it's been a long struggle, but finally, people are starting to talk about it more. Health must be a priority.”

Outside of Karolina Muchova, several leading tennis stars including Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Taylor Fritz and more have spoken out against the length of the tennis season.

Karolina Muchova shares glimpses of her off-season with fans

Muchova at the Toray Pan Pacific Open (Image Source: Getty)

Karolina Muchova dealt with a challenging 2025 season. The 29-year-old kicked the year off with an early exit at the Australian Open, but went on to make it to the semifinals of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. While she struggled to string together consistent wins over the next few months, the highlight of her season was a quarterfinals appearance at the US Open.

After a hectic year, Muchova is currently enjoying the off-season and she shared glimpses of her time away from the tennis court with fans on social media.

Up next, Karolina Muchova will return to action at the Brisbane International. The event will take place between January 4 and 11 and the entry list for the competition included the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova and more.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya