Tennis fans are buzzing with questions after Iga Swiatek‘s unexpected withdrawal from this week’s Beijing tournament, where she was set to defend her title and 1000 points. The world No. 1’s PR manager has offered some clarity, revealing to Polish media that while Swiatek is sitting out Beijing, she will not be skipping the entire Asian Swing and is set to return at the Wuhan Open.
Swiatek has had a grueling summer, highlighted by her fourth French Open triumph in June and a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Her last tournament was the US Open in early September, where she lost to Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals.
Fatigue forced her to withdraw from both the Canadian Open and the Korea Open. Beijing marks the third tournament she has pulled out of recently, citing personal reasons, although the specifics remain undisclosed.
The good news, however, comes from her PR manager, Paula Wolecka, who confirmed that Swiatek plans to make her comeback at the Wuhan Open on October 7. After that, she’s expected to play in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and conclude her season at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, when pressed by Polish journalists, her team declined to provide details regarding the mysterious personal issues that have recently impacted the player’s schedule.
Additionally, there is still a chance that Swiatek will join Team Poland for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga. Poland’s captain, Dawid Celt, has already called up Magdalena Frech, Magda Linette, Maja Chwalinska, and Katarzyna Kawa, leaving one spot open. Swiatek’s appearance in Spain would be a huge boost for the team and would create a big chance for the Polish players to play a significant role in this competition.
However, some fans remain skeptical. Given her recent last-minute withdrawals, many are waiting to see if she actually steps onto the court in Wuhan. With two weeks until the tournament, doubts linger, but Wolecka’s update offers hope.
In other news, Swiatek is now in her 122nd week as the top-ranked WTA player, surpassing Ashleigh Barty on the all-time list. She now sits in seventh place, just behind tennis legend Monica Seles, who spent 178 weeks at No. 1. (photo: Jimmie48)