Iga Swiatek has not shied away from voicing her opinions on the frantic WTA schedule as of late.
After an intense year, with the added challenge of transitioning in and out of the Olympics, Swiatek has complained about the tour’s schedule, branding the pace of it as ‘crazy’.
The world number one’s season has been relatively straightforward, having already added four WTA 1000 titles and a fourth French Open crown to her dazzling collection this season.
Things did, however, take a slight turn after Swiatek was stunned by Qinwen Zheng at the Olympics and then beaten by her arch-nemesis Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in Cincinnati for the first time in their fierce rivalry.
But, after a nervy win over Kamilla Rakhimova, the Pole is off the mark at this year’s US Open as she bids to emulate the form that propelled her to success in 2022.
Iga Swiatek claims WTA is going in the wrong direction
Iga Swiatek is not the only one voicing their opinions on the ‘crazy’ schedule, but she has been the standout advocate for change in recent times.
Having come under fire for claiming that there were too many tournaments, she has responded by highlighting the number of mandatory tournaments on the WTA Tour, reminding that players are in danger of losing their ranking points if uncommitted.
However, speaking after her first-round win at the US Open, the 23-year-old has noted how adjustments to the schedule could benefit fans and players alike.
“We don’t even have time until the end of the year because literally the first tournament starts on the 29th of December,” Swiatek said. “So yeah, the season is, for sure, too long.
“I think it needs to be changed because I think it’s going to be better for fans. They’re not going to see their favorite players, like, pull out or get injured so much, I think, and we can present better quality, I would say.
“But yeah, as I said at the beginning, I saw from last year that we don’t have much influence on what’s going on upstairs, and basically these rules have been changed without us even knowing about them.
“These decisions about mandatory tournaments were shown to us, like, after. So we spoke to WTA about it that we want to at least be in the loop.
“But it would be nice for us to have some impact because I don’t think our sport is going in the right direction because of that.”
Swiatek makes a valid point
There is no doubt that this year has been particularly challenging for players on tour, especially with the added strain of the Olympics and the rapid transitions between surfaces.
Scheduling issues, however, are not new. Tennis is an exceptionally demanding sport, with players competing relentlessly week after week, with little respite during the brief off-season.
Earlier this year, the ATP and WTA Tours took a step toward addressing these concerns by introducing a new policy that limited the number of matches played per day at tournaments. This initiative, supported by Andy Murray, was hailed as a positive move for all involved.
Yet, this is merely the beginning. There is a larger problem at hand when it comes to the yearly schedule and formatting of tournaments and it appears that the Tours might need to listen to the players and implement further changes to create a more sustainable schedule.
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