Iga Swiatek’s absence from the courts is starting to raise eyebrows! After her US Open exit, the Polish star has taken a step back from competing, and fans have been left wondering what’s next. Swiatek has openly voiced her struggles with the jam-packed tennis schedule this season, and it seems the need for a breather has taken priority. In a fresh twist, rumors are swirling that Swiatek has decided to skip yet another key event—the Wuhan Open during the Asian swing. Could this be part of a bigger strategy, or is Swiatek simply recharging for the next big chapter? Fans are eagerly awaiting answers!
The Polish star played her last match at the US Open, where she was ousted by Jessica Pegula in the fourth round. She has continued to stay away from the courts, and it looks like she will not be returning to the picture for yet another tournament of the Asian Swing, as per a post by Dominik Senkowski, a journalist at Sport.pl.
Taking to his X, Senkowski wrote that Swiatek is likely to focus on WTA finals, which are scheduled to take place between November 2 and November 9 in Riyadh, “The ipl portal (Portal i.pl) has just reported that Iga Świątek is not going to play in the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan and will focus on the WTA Finals.” However, he continued that there is no official confirmation as of yet. “However, they do not provide any source for this information. Paula Wolecka, Iga’s manager, told me: “We have not provided any of this information.” Remember, Swiatek has missed a lot of tournaments this season.
The World No. 1 missed the Korea Open, and the China Open owing to personal reasons and decided to remain out of the Tokyo Open as well. It seems like she will only return close to the WTA finals, where she has already secured a place for herself alongside her Belarusian counterpart, Aryna Sabalenka. However, the journalist highlighted that the information can not be trusted blindly.
Of course, it is possible that Iga will not play in Wuhan, but I recommend caution, because earlier the same portal (different author) reported that “Iga is to play in Tokyo“,” the thread read further. For the unversed, the Wuhan Open will be taking place between October 7 and October 13. But if Swiatek chooses to miss yet another tournament, it would be interesting to observe the reason she proposes.
Is the scheduling challenge taking a physical toll on Iga Swiatek?
Iga Swiatek has been quite vocal about the grueling scheduling throughout the season. The season has also proved to be tougher than others, especially due to the addition of the Paris Olympics right after the Wimbledon Championships. The continuous transitions and added tournaments have continued to frustrate players and Swiatek’s absence can be likely due to this reason.
Before entering the Cincinnati tournament, Swiatek made sure to point that out, as she said, “Our schedule is crazy, and it’s getting more crazy every year, which is scary. You just have to train wisely.” She re-iterated herself at the US Open as well during an interview with Euro Sports. “I do not expect that I will ever rest 100 percent at this point in the season, or that I will feel fresh. With our calendar, it is simply impossible. There are many tournaments, they are extended and there is not much time for regeneration.”
For now, the fans await an official confirmation from the star player. Will her continued absence also pose an impact on her World No. 1 position? Well, only time will tell.