“Due to personal matters, I’m forced to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing,” Iga Swiatek revealed in a statement. But was this really surprising? Swiatek has repeatedly complained about the demanding schedule. While everyone would have loved to see her on the court, she still needs to look after her health to prevent future issues like burnout. In fact, this season can be dedicated to just two WTA players, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. They dominated the season despite surprises in the form of Qinwen Zheng and Barbora Krejčíková. While Swiatek established herself as an indestructible force, fans consider Sabalenka as the counter.

However, after a successful yet tiring schedule, when Swiatek opted for rest and skipped the tournament to recover, criticism poured in. Now, her ex-coach, Paweł Ostrowski, has come out to defend her.

During an interview with Interia Sports, Ostrowski, narrated fans’ views while defending Swiatek’s move to rest. He said, “We have all become accustomed to the fact that Świątek is indestructible, that she is a machine from Raszyn, and she is only a human being. Let’s recall how intense the first half of the season was for her, and then the Olympics. We all know how much they cost her physically and mentally.”

Ostrowski emphasized remembering the first half of the season, as the World No.1 dominated since the beginning. An R3 loss in the Australian Open, followed by wins at the Qatar Open, Indian Wells, Madrid Open, Italian Open, and French Open marked Swiatek’s 2024 season. This was followed by an Olympic bronze medal. The journey was not easy for the Pole but like her ex-coach said:

“At some point, the body starts to give signals that it needs to slow down. Micro-injuries appear, which can develop into something more serious. And it is not only Iga who does this, let’s take Aryna Sabalenka for example. When her rivals take breaks, it does not impress anyone in Poland, and when Iga needs a breather, it immediately becomes a national drama.”

The Belarusian star has followed a similar path as Swiatek since the start of the season. Sabalenka claimed the Australian Open title, before making a premature exit at the Grass Swing due to shoulder injury. Her absence was certainly felt in the circuit, as many tennis fans were left devoid of an epic clash in the form of Sabalenka vs Swiatek.

However, in Poland, the national star has been on the receiving end when she takes a step back for a breather. Despite everything, the country has other matters to look at as it was affected by a natural calamity—floods— almost two weeks ago. The tennis player took to her social media to encourage the people of Poland.

Moreover, Swiatek is not the only tennis star who has focused on the necessity of resting and recovering after an exhausting stretch in the circuit. Carlos Alcaraz too has stepped back a few times to recover. And the latest support for a less demanding calendar and more rest came from Andy Murray’s ex-coach.

Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz: Andy Murray’s ex-coach said, “Give players complete rest!”

Iga Swiatek has repeatedly raised her voice for a less demanding schedule throughout the year. She even withdrew from the Canadian Open and Korea Open because of fatigue. Her voice found support in Alcaraz as he concurred that the schedule has been quite hectic throughout the years. “We have to talk about it ourselves and we have to do something about it.”

The youngsters have found support in the British legend, Murray’s ex-coach, Mark Petchey, who opined, “No one isn’t saying it’s hard, the schedule could be better, but most of the discussions about how to make it make more sense should be done behind closed doors.”

Though the experienced coach didn’t just complain about the issue, he proposed a probable solution for the same.

After Alcaraz’s scheduling complaints, he said, “Obvious to everyone there should be a mid-season break. Nothing after Wimbledon till 2 weeks before the US Open. Give fans and players a chance to recharge. They run the season till end of October/first week November. Give players complete rest. Restart in Australia.”

Now Iga Swiatek’s break might not be supported by many fans, but she has certainly brought the issue of a balanced schedule to the forefront, like Alcaraz has been doing. It’s all upon the authorities to figure out the best way for the players, fans, and tennis. Let’s see how things will fare shortly. Do you have any other solution in mind for the scheduling? Share with us in the comments below.