The ongoing Cincinnati Open has turned out to be a great entertainer owing to a number of stellar performances that were on display throughout the tournament. However, the tennis community also witnessed an unusually large count of walkovers during the North American hard court swing this season. A number of prominent figures like Holger Rune, Elena Rybakina, Donna Vekic, Mackenzie McDonald, and many others had to pull out of the Masters 1000 event due to their injury woes.
Taking note of the same, the Polish tennis star, Iga Świątek has now come forward to shed light on the high retirement numbers. In the process, the 4 singles Grand Slam champion also brought to light some of the stressful reasons including their business endeavors.
Iga Świątek on the recent walkovers during the Cincinnati Open
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In her recent post-match press conference, the currently ranked world No. 1 asserted that it has now become harder for players to compete on the tour due to the hectic schedules. A number of players are finding it difficult to play at their optimum fitness levels on the courts, as they have often picked up some minor or major injuries.
The 22-year-old went on to predict that if the Masters 1000 tournaments’ format were extended to more weeks, then it would be further challenging for the participants. She added, “I think it’s a sign for WTA & ATP to kind of take it easy on us. On the other side, there’s business they need to take care of.. Our season is actually going to get longer.”
Iga Swiatek says high retirement count in Cincinnati isn’t a coincidence:
“I think it's harder & harder. Tournaments, if they are longer, we have less time in between tournaments to recover. I think it's going to be pretty extreme next year if all the 1000 tournaments are going… pic.twitter.com/oHintaprUN
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 19, 2023
Meanwhile, the reigning French Open champion also urged the authorities to take the necessary steps given the adversities faced by her colleagues in the tennis circuit. She also brought to light how there is a business side of things, which needs to be addressed by both the men’s and women’s circuits.
Apart from this, the WTA player also issued her direct takes on the other challenges during the North American hard court swing.
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Świątek shed light on the weather delays during the hard court season
There were a lot of unexpected rain delays that the participants had to face during this hard court season. Taking heed, the Polish tennis star asserted that this North American swing is quite hard given the weather conditions that have further messed up their already hectic schedule. Świątek also stated that it isn’t an easy task to recover for the participants who had to play two matches on a single day. In the process, the 4 singles Grand Slam champion said that the pressure is a bit different during the WTA 250 events.
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What do you think of the Polish tennis star’s blunt assertions about the hectic schedules during the hard court season? Let us know in the comments section.
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