Iga Swiatek has dropped one other main assertion on the WTA Tour calendar, saying the calls for of it are “making it much less enjoyable for us gamers” and likewise warns that it’s “not going to finish nicely” if some issues do not change.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and the very best participant within the sport for over the previous two years, has been a vocal critic of the schedule for fairly a while. However at this week’s WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati, the 23-year-old Pole went a step additional along with her criticism.
First, Swiatek described the tennis calendar as “the hardest in all sports activities” and added that it was solely “getting crazier” as a substitute of higher. And whereas that declare made the headlines, the present world No. 1 had extra to say on the identical matter after edging out Mirra Andreeva 4-6 6-3 7-5 within the Cincinnati quarterfinal.
“So what can I say I have been form of an advocate, saying that nicely, we should not be pushing and pushing for us to play extra. Clearly, it is not our determination, however for positive, I feel we’ve got too many tournaments within the season. It isn’t gonna finish nicely because it’s simply it makes tennis much less enjoyable for us. Let’s simply say, I imply, clearly, I really like taking part in all these locations but it surely’s fairly exhausting,” Swiatek instructed Sky Sports activities.
Swiatek: Individuals are going to hate me, however…
Fact be instructed, 4 large tournaments began in a interval of 40 days – Wimbledon on July 1st, the Paris Olympics in late July, whereas the WTA 1000 event in Toronto began on August sixth and the Cincinnati occasion kicked off on August thirteenth. And gamers who’ve taken half at The Championships, Summer season Video games and at the least one of many tournaments throughout this yr’s North American hard-court swing, modified three totally different surfaces.
And forward of the Cincinnati semifinal versus Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek says she simply must be in a position “to relaxation” a bit of between tournaments.
“I feel many of the gamers might inform you that. Particularly once you’re taking part in on the excessive degree and, you realize, going to high-ranking tournaments. I do not assume it must be like that. We should relaxation a bit of bit extra clearly possibly. Individuals are going to hate me for that as a result of it sounded bizarre that I am asking for relaxation. It does not make sense, however the fact is that you’ve got to maintain up with the Tour,” Swiatek added.
What Swiatek stated when she arrived in Cincinnati?
After touchdown a bronze medal for her nation, Swiatek skipped Toronto. However after coming to Cincinnati, the five-time Grand Slam champion needed to make it clear to everybody how she felt about this yr’s calendar.
“Our calendar is loopy, most likely the hardest one in sports activities. There are sports activities which are actually powerful as a result of, bodily, you would possibly get beat up. However most sports activities have 4 months off, generally even six. Our schedule is loopy, and it’s getting extra loopy yearly, which is frightening. You simply have to coach properly,” Swiatek acknowledged.
Since Swiatek undoubtedly did not really feel well-prepared for Cincinnati, she did not wish to put huge expectations on herself for the week. As an alternative, she revealed she was planning to take it simple and see what would occur.
“I do know that the primary event on exhausting courtroom isn’t going to be simple. So I’m going to attempt to deal with it as a apply event, however not in a method that I don’t care – extra in a method that I wish to implement all of the stuff that I practiced on. I feel it’s the very best method for me now. We’re taking it simple, doing the whole lot step-by-step. For positive, it’s not going to be good from the start however I had a pair days to essentially get used to the floor, so I’m making an attempt to do the very best job doable on daily basis and coming into the courtroom subsequent day figuring out I can do one thing higher,” Swiatek defined in her pre-tournament press convention.
Since making these statements, Swiatek has received her opening three matches in Cincinnati. Nevertheless, it is not that it was a cakewalk since two of her three wins got here by way of a decider – the Pole wanted three units to beat Andreeva and Varvara Gracheva whereas she solely beat Marta Kostyuk in straight units.
At the moment, Swiatek can be going through her hardest job but on the event when she meets No. 3 seed Aryna Sabalenka. This yr, Swiatek and Sabalenka performed twice throughout the grass season and the Pole received each of these conferences to enhance to 8-3 within the head-to-head towards the Belarusian.
If Swiatek beats Sabalenka, she’s going to make her first Cincinnati remaining.
