Iga Swiatek Slams Authorities For 'Unsustainable...Super Intense' Tennis Schedule

Last Updated:June 30, 2025, 13:51 IST

Swiatek criticized the intense tennis calendar, saying players shouldn't compete in over 20 tournaments a year. She skipped Poland's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier due to fatigue.

Iga Swiatek (AP)

Iga Swiatek voiced strong concerns on Sunday about the demanding nature of the professional tennis calendar, arguing that players should not be expected to compete in over 20 tournaments annually just to maintain their rankings.

Currently ranked world No. 4, the former top-ranked player described feeling caught in a difficult situation earlier this year when she reluctantly chose to skip Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in April. Swiatek said she felt forced to decide between national representation and personal career needs.

‘Super Intense’ Calendar

Swiatek’s comments add to the growing scrutiny of tennis’s grueling schedule, a central issue in the lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) against the sport’s governing bodies in March. The PTPA has labelled the nearly year-long season “unsustainable."

“The scheduling is super intense, it’s too intense," Swiatek told reporters when asked about the biggest challenges to players’ mental health. “There’s no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year."

The 23-year-old highlighted the ranking system’s pressure, which often forces players to prioritize points over passion.

“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 explained.

“I think these kinds of obligations and the rules about mandatory tournaments just put pressure on us… I think people would still watch tennis, maybe even more, if we played fewer tournaments. The quality would be better."

Grasscourt Progress Ahead of Wimbledon

Swiatek enters Wimbledon this year as the tournament’s eighth seed and will face Polina Kudermetova in the opening round on Tuesday.

Known for her dominance on clay—having claimed four French Open titles—Swiatek was defeated in the Roland Garros semi-finals this season. She quickly pivoted her attention to grass, historically her weakest surface.

On Saturday, she reached her first grasscourt final at the Bad Homburg Open, where she was visibly emotional after falling to top seed Jessica Pegula. Despite the loss, Swiatek remains encouraged by her progress on the faster surface.

“It’s not like a huge change. It’s not like 180 degrees change. I wouldn’t say now suddenly everything is perfect, because it’s still a difficult surface. It’s still tricky," Swiatek said.

“But 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."

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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