Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has called an early finish to what she described as "one of the most challenging" seasons of her career. Poland's Swiatek failed to qualify for the end-of-season WTA Finals, for the first time since 2019, after pulling out of the Ningbo Open on Tuesday with a thigh injury. Shortly afterwards, the 25-year-old announced she was bringing a largely barren season to a close in order to recharge over a longer period before returning in 2027.
Former long-time world number one Swiatek has ended a season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2021 and has dropped to ninth in the rankings. "The past few months, or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense," said Swiatek, who will have an opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January. "I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully, so that's exactly what I will do, for a bit longer this time."
Her most recent Grand Slam triumph came at Wimbledon last year. Swiatek has managed one WTA title this season, the Canadian Open in August, and ends 2026 with a 42-16 win-loss record. On Saturday, she lost to fellow Pole Maja Chwalinska in the Wuhan Open semi-finals, only her fourth defeat in 23 matches. "I'm especially proud of the work we've done in the second half of the year," said Swiatek, who needed treatment on her thigh but played on against Chwalinska.
The decision was not a surprise once she withdrew from Ningbo. It has been another season of flux and frustration, including a split from coach Wim Fissette in March and the appointment of Francisco Roig, the former coach of Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu. Lifting a WTA 1,000 trophy in Toronto was the clear high, but the stress and anxiety she has openly described on court has not gone away. Her honest answer afterwards, that she could "go on a longer vacation" by missing the WTA Finals, gave a clear indication of what she needs before getting back to work ahead of 2027.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing