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Iga Swiatek Commits to Play in Billie Jean King Cup

Iga Swiatek will represent Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup.

Pat Benson

Aug 2, 2024; Paris, France; Iga Swiatek (POL) returns a shot against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (not pictured) in the bronze medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Aug 2, 2024; Paris, France; Iga Swiatek (POL) returns a shot against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (not pictured) in the bronze medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The WTA World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has announced she will be part of Poland's team at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals.

Swiatek was not originally named as part of the team and has missed the tournament in recent years due to scheduling conflicts. However, she holds a 9-2 record in Billie Jean King Cup singles matches, with her only two losses coming back in 2019.

Swiatek made the announcement on social media. The 23-year-old said, "See you in Malaga! I'm happy to announce that I will play in the BJKC Finals. I'm glad that I'll play for my country and proudly represent Poland. Together with Team Poland, we will give our best on the court. I hope you'll watch and support us. See you soon."

Fans have not seen Swiatek on the court since her loss to Jessica Pegula in the US Open quarterfinals on September 4. Since then, the five-time Grand Slam champion has pulled out of the entire Asian swing of the WTA schedule.

Additionally, she fired her longtime coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, on October 4. Less than two weeks later, Swiatek hired Naomi Osaka's ex-coach, Wim Fissette, on October 17.

Shaking up her coaching staff must be showing results for Swiatek as she has opted into the Billie Jean King Cup. However, missing so many tournaments has cost her the spot at the top of the WTA rankings.

Earlier this week, Aryna Sabalenka took an extremely narrow lead over Swiatek atop the WTA rankings. They are both scheduled to compete in the WTA Finals, which go from November 2-9.

The Finals run from November 13-20 at the Martin Carpena Arena in Malaga. The 2024 Davis Cup Finals will occur from November 19-24 at the same venue.

Swiatek is currently the World No. 2 player and has a record of 54-7 with five titles (including a French Open championship) this year. She helped Poland in the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning a bronze medal on the clay courts of Roland Garros.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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