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Sam Querrey and John Isner have shed light on why so many tennis players, including Aryna Sabalenka, are choosing the Maldives for their off-season breaks. In recent years, the island nation has also become a preferred retreat for the likes of Alexander Zverev, Iga Swiatek, and Belinda Bencic
Tennis stars have increasingly been heading to the Maldives during the off-season. For example, Iga Swiatek visited in 2024 and spent time at the One&Only Reethi Rah resort.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev also enjoyed a beach break with family last year. This year, among several tennis stars in the island nation, Aryna Sabalenka headed there to rest and reflect.
In a recent episode of the Nothing Major Show, Sam Querrey and John Isner broke down exactly why so many of their peers make that trip.
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"I would say 90% of them, maybe 100% of them, are there for free.. You get these deals from the hotels. So they're there, they get a free night or, excuse me, a free room for let's say five nights, all expenses paid, and they probably have to do a one-hour tennis clinic a day at whatever said resort they're at," Querrey said (from 24:40).
He explained that while someone like Sabalenka might be an exception, it wouldn’t be surprising if she also received similar offers. According to him, players are provided with incredible rooms at no cost, and these deals are sent to them every year.
Meanwhile, Isner added that these offers are why players tag the resorts in their Instagram posts.
"Because that's why these players are tagging the resort, and they're uploading on their story quite a bit. Like the higher the ranking, the better the deal, the better the resort most likely," Isner added.
Later in the show, Reilly Opelka chimed in, saying he dislikes players going to the Maldives in the offseason. He argued that they already travel on flights and live in hotels all year, so the break is a good opportunity to spend time at home.
Aryna Sabalenka hoped to drink tequila in the Maldives while analyzing her behavior in the 2025 season gone by
Aryna Sabalenka played in the championship match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh against Elena Rybakina. This was her ninth final of the 2025 season with four titles to her name. The World No. 1, however, lost her fifth final of the season when the Kazakh claimed a 6-3, 7-6(7) win.
During her press conference after the loss, Aryna Sabalenka said with a smile:
"Can we do it quick? I want to go to the Maldives."
Later in the presser, she added:
"So I guess I’ll just sit back in Maldives, having my probably tequila, and think back and try to analyze my behavior, my emotions. [I] think that actually it’s been pretty good so far."
Several top players chose warm getaways this offseason, with Sabalenka, Belinda Bencic, Marketa Vondrousova, Katerina Siniakova, and Jelena Ostapenko all spending their breaks in the Maldives.
Amanda Anisimova opted for a quieter trip, returning to her home country and relaxing in New York. Meanwhile, Taylor Townsend and Naomi Osaka headed to the Caribbean, where a fun TikTok they made together quickly went viral.
