Iga Swiatek Warns WTA Tour Has Too Many Tournaments

Iga Swiatek says there are too many tournaments in the WTA schedule.
Iga Swiatek says there are too many tennis tournaments.
Iga Swiatek says there are too many tennis tournaments. / Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

When the World No. 1 tennis player speaks, everyone listens. Yesterday, Iga Swiatek defeated Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open and then offered a candid assessment of the WTA tour.

During her post-match interview on the court, Swiatek said there are too many tournaments in the season. The 23-year-old did not hold back on the grueling schedule.

Switaek said, "I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It’s not going to end well. It makes tennis less fun for us. Obviously, I love playing tennis in all these places, but it's pretty exhausting."

She concluded, "We deserve to rest a little bit more. Maybe people are going to hate me for that..."

Switaek is not wrong. The WTA Tour has over 50 events and four Grand Slams, spanning six continents and nearly 30 countries. The deeper players go in these tournaments, the less rest they get.

Swiatek just played in her ninth quarterfinal of 2024 so far. Her season record now stands at an impressive 55-6. Swiatek faces World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati Open Semifinals today. After Cincinnati, Swiatek will travel to New York City for the US Open.

Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

Further Reading: Coco Gauff snubbed the media after losing at the Cincinnati Open.


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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.