Imagine getting to do the one thing you ever wanted to. But then the system fails you, your peers turn against you, and even the crowd has only words of criticism to offer. That’s what happened with Iga Swiatek, who recently touched base on the controversial topic she’s gained attention for – WTA’s grueling schedule. Amid the controversy, a former pro has come forward to offer a possible solution.
Swiatek has maintained the world No. 1 ranking for an impressive 117 weeks and currently boasts a substantial lead of over 2500 points over No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. But Swiatek has maintained this upward trajectory by playing an overflowing calendar full of tennis all across the world. When Swiatek told Sky Sports in Cincinnati, “I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It’s not going to end well. It makes tennis less fun for us,” the tennis community had extreme reactions. From support to call outs, the diverse response drew ex-tennis pro Dawid Celt to join the discourse.
While he agrees the Tour is not kind to athletes, he tells Onet how the authorities might deal with it practically, “I would give the players more freedom. But to manage their health more. I wouldn’t force them to do it. […] The best ones, because we’re mainly talking about them, I would give them more freedom.” While Iga Swiatek only maintained that it was hard for athletes to rest with the constant travel and playing tennis at a high level, Celt points out another issue.
They, the top ten, if they withdraw somewhere and don’t come, they also get financial penalties. They are taken from the annual bonus. Obviously, it’s a matter of balance. If they deduct a hundred, two hundred or three hundred thousand dollars from you, and you’re at the level of the top five or top ten, it’s not the end of the world. It’s an individual matter.”
This isn’t a new problem borne out of recent years; Swiatek, after winning the Madrid Open in May, said, “Scheduling-wise, the planning is going to be more important, sometimes even [missing] some tournaments that are important for you, for you to be ready for the next one. We don’t have time to rest properly.”
At the Cincinnati Open in a press conference, she had also plainly stated, “Our calendar is crazy, probably the toughest one in sports.” While the Polish player manages to keep her form in check and is likely to stay at the top for years to come, there is only one thing that could stop her in her tracks – injuries. And the quickest way to incur one is by pushing your body beyond your limits, day in and day out.
But while the World No. 1 might have sympathizers, she also has her fair share of critics.
All you do is complain”: Former tennis pro doesn’t hold back against Iga Swiatek
Who better to give opinions on a sport than one who has been through it? “I don’t think it should be like that because we deserve to rest a little bit more. Maybe people are going to hate me for saying that,” Swiatek had told Sky Sports. But in retort, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, a former ATP No. 1, minced no words.
“is someone pushing you to play ??? All you fricking do is complain!! I’ll tell you what you deserve! You deserve to get paid a lot less than you do now!! How about that??” he wrote on X.
Interestingly, current players like Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina have made comments similar to Swiatek before. And former pro Chris Evert has openly stood up for the Pole, pointing out how things have starkly changed since the 80s.
Does that mean one is right, and the other is wrong? Perhaps, or perhaps not. But a world-wide organization with this level of media scrutiny might have to listen to its players from time to time if it wants to work successfully!
