Iga Swiatek has confirmed she will not defend her title at the China Open, Beijing, citing personal reasons. This will be the second time she pulled out of the WTA Tour event after her loss at the US Open. Swiatek was previously withdrawn from this week’s WTA 500 event in Seoul, South Korea.
Swiatek would have been among the favorites to win the title again this year. But, the 23-year-old has confirmed that she will not be heading to the Chinese capital. She prolonged her rest time since her US Open quarter-final loss against Jessica Pegula.
Withdrawal Gives Big Impact on Iga Swiatek’s Rank Position
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There are no clear explanations about the reason Swiatek has chosen to pull off another Asian event. “Due to personal matters, I’m forced to withdraw from China Open in Beijing,” Iga Swiatek said on her social media account. Swiatek also pulled off from Korea Open. But, it was clearly stated that it was due to fatigue.
Swiatek had won the French Open in June and took bronze in the Paris Olympics before losing to Jessica Pegula in the US Open. The Polish also missed her chance to defend her title at the Canadian Open last month to let her have enough preparation time to perform at the Flushing Meadows.
With another withdrawal from the Chinese WTA event, Iga Swiatek will drop 1,000 ranking points – falling from 10,885 points to 9,885 once the tournament is over. The world number two Aryna Sabalenka will have another opportunity to close the gap and probably return to the top spot again in the last several weeks of the season.
Aryna Sabalenka’s Big Opportunity
The US Open Champion Aryna Sabalenka will be the top-seeded player in Beijing. She had reached the quarterfinals twice in her three career appearances. This might be her best opportunity to give a better result in China. US Open finalist, Jessica Pegula is expected to be the second-seeded.
It would be another chance for Sabalenka and Pegula to meet again in the final. And despite Iga Swiatek’s withdrawal, the WTA 1000 event is still stacked with talents like Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, and Coco Gauff. The main draw will be started on Friday, September 27.
Will Iga Swiatek Finish the Season on a Rest?
Iga Swiatek is still set to play the Wuhan Open the week after the Beijing event concludes. Her decision to miss the China Open was not something she was planning for. After her loss in the US Open, Swiatek stated that she would play in the WTA 1000 tournament – which is mandatory for players to enter if they qualify directly by ranking. “‘I’m only talking about mandatory tournaments and there are rules about mandatory tournaments,” she said.
She had previously critiqued the length of the WTA tour’s schedule this year. She called it “exhausting.” The calendar, which also included the Olympics schedule, has made tennis “less fun” for players. However, there is uncertainty about whether she will come back and play some final events of the season until this November or not.
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