Iga Swiatek Voices Concerns Over Tennis Schedule
Iga Swiatek, currently ranked fourth in the world, voiced her concerns about the demanding tennis schedule on Sunday, arguing that the current structure forces players to participate in over 20 tournaments annually just to keep their standing. During a recent press conference, Swiatek expressed her frustration with a system that places players at odds with their national commitments, as she experienced firsthand when she opted out of Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier earlier this year.
“The scheduling is extremely rigorous. It’s excessive. We shouldn’t have to play more than 20 tournaments each year,”
she stated, highlighting the mental health pressures players face within the sport. She emphasized that in order to maintain their rankings, players often must forgo opportunities to represent their countries, focusing instead on high-stakes events like WTA 500s, which can yield detrimental zero points if skipped.
This is not Swiatek’s first criticism of the tennis calendar; she previously addressed similar issues ahead of last year’s US Open and attributed a February defeat to insufficient preparation caused by the packed schedule.
“These obligations and rules concerning mandatory tournaments create added pressure on us,”
she reiterated.
“I believe if we reduced the number of tournaments, the viewing experience could improve, potentially drawing in even more fans due to enhanced quality of play.”
Impact of the Overwhelming Schedule
The topic of the overwhelming tennis schedule is significant, especially since it was a key factor behind a lawsuit launched by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association earlier this year against the sport’s governing bodies, as they labeled the current system as “unsustainable.”
Preparing for Wimbledon
As she prepares for this year’s Wimbledon, where she is seeded eighth, Swiatek is set to compete against Polina Kudermetova in the opening round on Tuesday. Following her semifinal exit at Roland Garros, where she claimed four titles in the past, Swiatek has been working on her performance on grass—a surface notoriously challenging for her. Despite a bittersweet loss in the finals at the Bad Homburg Open, where she was emotionally moved after being defeated by top seed Jessica Pegula, Swiatek is optimistic about her progress.
“Adapting to grass isn’t an overnight transformation. It’s still tricky, but each year I find it a bit easier to adjust, which gives me more time to grow as a player,”
she noted, reflecting on her gradual improvement on this swift surface.
