New Delhi: Iga Swiatek once again raised her voice to growing concerns around the demanding nature of the tennis calendar calling out the current schedule “super intense” and “too much” for players looking to protect their rankings and well-being throughout the year.
The World No.4, while speaking on Sunday, argued that it is unreasonable for players to be expected to compete in over 20 tournaments a year simply to maintain their place in the rankings.
Four-time Grand Slam champion explained how the structure often forces players to make difficult choices like when she reluctantly skipped Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in April to manage her schedule and personal priorities.
Swiatek explained, “Sometimes we need to sacrifice playing for your country because we need to keep up with playing these WTA 500s, for example, because we’re going to get a zero in the ranking.” She added, “The scheduling is super intense, it’s too intense. There’s no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year.”
Swiatek believes that a less congested schedule could actually enhance the sport, arguing that fewer tournaments could improve the quality of matches while easing the mental and physical strain on players.
“I think people would still watch tennis, maybe even more, if we played fewer tournaments. The quality would be better,” she added.
Swiatek’s comments align with the Professional Tennis Players’ Association’s (PTPA) recent criticism of the packed 11-month tennis season, which the union has described as “unsustainable” in its lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies.
Swiatek next in action
Swiatek will now shift her focus to Wimbledon where she enters as the eighth seed and is set to face Polina Kudermetova in her opening match on Tuesday. Despite her clay dominance, Swiatek has made steady progress on grass, having reached her first grasscourt final last week at the Bad Homburg Open. Although she fell to Jessica Pegula in that final but she still showed positive signs of adjusting to the faster surface.
“Every year it feels like it’s a little bit easier to get used to the surface and then you have more time to just develop as a player,” Swiatek noted as she aims to carry that progress into the grass-court major.
With Wimbledon underway Swiatek’s reflections on the intense calendar come as a reminder of the challenges top players face, even as they strive to deliver their best on the sport’s grandest stages.