Even the most passionate of pursuits can lose their spark when pushed to the limit. Tennis, with its relentless schedule, is no exception. The demands of constant travel, back-to-back matches, and minimal recovery time have sparked a wave of frustration within the tennis community. Among the rising voices, one stands out—World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. She’s been a vocal critic of the grueling match schedules this season, and once again, she’s speaking out, reminding everyone of the toll it takes on even the best in the game.

The World No. 1 is all set to play the first-round match of her US Open Campaign against Kamilla Rakhimova on Tuesday. But ahead of the match, she seems to be troubled with the scheduling challenges that players have faced this season. Engaging in an interview with Euro Sports ahead of the tournament, the Polish sensation let her true feelings out. 

Speaking in the interview, Swiatek said, “I do not expect that I will ever rest 100 percent at this point in the season, or that I will feel fresh.” August alone has witnessed numerous events already. Right after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, tennis players shifted their focus to the Canadian Open, followed by the Cincinnati Masters. Many players also participated in the Monterrey Open, to gear up for the grand slam.

Continuing further, Swiatek highlighted the challenges that players are facing due to consecutive events. “With our calendar, it is simply impossible. There are many tournaments, they are extended and there is not much time for regeneration.”

However, Swiatek’s troubles are reduced to some extent by her experienced team members. “We try to plan very wisely in the team. My coaches have experience in this aspect, so I generally rely on their suggestions and decisions,” she said. This, however, is not the first time when the Polish star has resonated with such statements. 

Even after winning her quarterfinal match at the Cincinnati Masters against Mirra Andreeva, Swiatek had talked about the scheduling and the pressure that it puts on the players. “I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It’s not going to end well. It makes tennis less fun for us.” The Pole received support from former pro- Chris Evert, who took to her X handle and wrote, “I certainly can understand @iga_swiatek concern about playing too many tournaments.”

The agony of the 2022 US Open winner can be well justified by her latest setbacks. Swiatek, despite winning big on clay this season, has witnessed some major setbacks. She was ousted in the third round of Wimbledon in a shocking loss. Besides, in the American hardcourt swing, she lost to World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincy semi-finals. While the World No. 1 has been constantly opening up about the scheduling issues, she is not the only player who is bogged down by the challenges.

When Taylor Townsend resonated with similar sentiments like Iga Swiatek

The back-to-back tournaments are becoming hectic for many star players. One such player who seems to be affected badly is Taylor Townsend, who has repeatedly slammed the organizers and has expressed her difficulties. Speaking to Tennis Channel during the Cincinnati Open, Townsend reflected upon the issue. “So, I literally have not had a day off in three and a half weeks.” She further said, “From DC, I flew the same day to Toronto, played, and had to qualify. And I lose last-round qualies.”

The scheduling challenges seemed to put Townsend on the backseat in the Canadian Open as well. “From Toronto, we drove, I finished my match at like 3 something, we drove at 9’o clock in night. Drove eight hours to come here (to Cincinnati.) I arrived at the hotel at 5.30 in the morning. I slept for 4 hours. Came on site, did everything, you know warm up the whole nine. Played, qualified,” Townsend said, highlighting the scheduling issues at the tournament. She eventually lost to Emma Navarro in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open.

With such hectic and nerve-wrenching difficulties in place, it would be interesting to see how the US Open unfolds for players like Townsend and Iga Swiatek. Can they overcome the challenges and win big? Only time will tell.