Iga Swiatek once again calls for a reduced WTA schedule ahead of Wimbledon opener

Iga Swiatek arrives for the Wimbledon Championship fresh off reaching her first final on grass in Bad Homburg.

Iga Swiatek once again calls for a reduced WTA schedule ahead of Wimbledon opener

Iga Swiatek (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Every year, players have urged the WTA and ATP to reduce the length of the tour schedule. One of the prominent players to have called for action from the women’s tennis body has been Iga Swiatek. She’s back at it again at Wimbledon following her runners-up finish at the just-concluded Bad Homburg Open.

Swiatek is not the only player to be vocal about the hectic scheduling on tour. Grand Slam winners Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu have criticized the schedule and have also taken breaks for mental health purposes. The fact that the tennis season runs for eleven months and ranking points are earned based on competitions has made it hectic for players.

The former World No.1 is fresh off reaching her first grass-court final at Bad Homburg, where she faced Jessica Pegula. The five-time Grand Slam champion fell to a painful defeat, which keeps her without a title since Roland Garros 2024. She arrived at Wimbledon on Sunday (June 29) and has just one day to practice before her opening match on Tuesday (July 1).

During her press conference at the grass-court Grand Slam, she revealed that the system has trapped her in a situation where she had to choose between representing her country and focusing on herself following her decision to skip the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in April:

I think the scheduling is super intense. It’s too intense. There’s no point for us to play, like, over 20 tournaments in a year. Sometimes we need to sacrifice playing for your country. We need to keep up with playing these WTA 500s, for example, because we’re going to get a zero in the ranking. I think this kind of obligation and the rules about mandatory tournaments just put pressure on us.

Swiatek then added that more fans will be attracted to the sport if tournaments were fewer than they are. She also pointed out that players mustn’t see tennis as their whole life:

For me the scheduling is pretty intense. I think people would still watch tennis, maybe even more. This would help us be more consistent later on. It’s a challenge; tennis is a tough sport. Every week you start from scratch, but it’s important to remember that tennis is not your whole life; you need to put it in perspective and be proud of what you do, even when you don’t win.

Swiatek has had a turbulent season by her standards. She recently dropped out of the top 5 after failing to defend the Roland Garros title last month. But she is back in the elite group following her run at Bad Homburg.

Iga Swiatek says she’s more confident on grass following her run at Bad Homburg

Iga Swiatek is known to struggle on the grass court, but last week she surprised the tennis world by reaching her first final on the surface at Bad Homburg. Despite her loss to Jessica Pegula in the championship match, there were a lot of positives to pick from her display at the tournament.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via X/Jimmie48 Photography)

Ahead of her Wimbledon opening match, she revealed that she has definitely improved on her game on grass. She added that the run has also given her more confidence which she will use to overcome situations on the court in SW19:

So far, it’s definitely been the best grass-court swing I have had. I had a great time in Bad Hamburg, truly enjoyed it. It also helped a lot to have extra practice time on grass a bit earlier; now I feel like I have improved, and my level is better. Having more matches under my belt brings more confidence, which I’ll need to overcome the upcoming experiences on the court and move forward.

Swiatek will face Polina Kudermetova in the first round of the Wimbledon Championship. She’s projected to face French Open winner Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals.

Also read: Coco Gauff Calls for Women to Play Finals Last Instead of Men and Take Center Stage in Tennis