Iga Swiatek ends her season as thigh injury persists
Iga Swiatek announced that she would play no more tournaments this year after withdrawing from the Ningbo Open with a left thigh injury. The world number nine had been chasing the remaining WTA Finals place. Anastasia Zakharova replaced her in Ningbo’s main draw as Swiatek opted for a longer break to recover fully.
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Swiatek chooses a longer recovery break
Iga Swiatek has ended her season after withdrawing from the Ningbo Open. The Polish tennis player announced that continuing health problems meant she would play no more tournaments this year.[1], [2]
The problem is an injury to her left thigh that persisted over the preceding weeks. Swiatek said she needed time to rest and allow her body to recover fully. Rather than return for the remaining tournaments, she chose to make this break longer. Her announcement followed an earlier decision to withdraw from Ningbo, where she had been seeded second.[1]
Ningbo withdrawal removes a Finals contender
Swiatek was ranked ninth in the world and was competing for the last available place at the season-ending Women’s Tennis Association Finals when she withdrew. Alternate Anastasia Zakharova took her place in Ningbo’s main draw. The withdrawal therefore changed the tournament field while removing Swiatek from further competition this season.[1]
The thigh injury had already troubled her during the Wuhan Open semi-final defeat by Maja Chwalinska. Swiatek said she had looked forward to playing in Ningbo, thanked the organisers and spectators who hoped to see her compete, and expressed a wish to return the following year.[1]
Toronto title precedes a difficult season’s end
Swiatek won the Toronto title during the season. In explaining her decision to stop, she described a year containing challenges, changes and lessons. She was particularly pleased with the work she and her team had done in the second half of the year and with the progress that followed. That progress, she said, gave her confidence about the future.[1]
She also referred to the intensity of recent months and years when discussing the need for a complete recovery. Her final announcement extended the Ningbo withdrawal into a decision covering every remaining tournament, putting rest ahead of an immediate return to the tour.[1]
