Tennis fans can now add Iga Swiatek to the rapidly growing list of women’s players who have withdrawn from the Korea Open. Swiatek says her physical condition has not returned to normal since playing in the 2024 US Open.
So far, the tournament has lost Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Emma Navarro. There will be no top-ten WTA players participating in Seoul this fall.
Swiatek has enjoyed plenty of highs and lows throughout this season. She won the French Open and won a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics. However, Swiatek has struggled at times and cited the grueling schedule as a reason for her physical ailments
After her match at the Cincinnati Open in August, Swiatek warned that the WTA Tour had too many tournaments. 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.”
Swiatek concluded, “We deserve to rest a little bit more. Maybe people are going to hate me for that…”
While many fans are left disappointed that Swiatek has withdrawn from the Korean Open, they have to respect her decision to prioritize her health. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated’s Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.