Anna Kalinskaya Slams WTA and Cincinnati Masters for ‘Unfair’ Scheduling Ahead of Iga Swiatek Quarterfinal Clash

Iga Swiatek and Anna Kalinskaya are bidding to win their career's first Cincinnati Masters title.

Anna Kalinskaya Slams WTA and Cincinnati Masters for ‘Unfair’ Scheduling Ahead of Iga Swiatek Quarterfinal Clash

Anna Kalinskaya, Iga Swiatek (Image via X/Tennis Channel, ESPN Tenis)

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Anna Kalinskaya‘s fourth-round match at the Cincinnati Masters against Ekaterina Alexandrova ended around 3 a.m. local time, and she went to bed not before 4 a.m. But her semifinal match against Iga Swiatek is scheduled for 11 a.m. (local time) on Friday (August 15). Kalinskaya slammed the WTA as well as the Cincinnati Masters for scheduling her match in the morning.

The Russian ace will be up against Swiatek for the second time in her career. They previously met in the semifinal of last year’s Dubai Open, which the Pole lost in three sets. Before scheduling the match against Kalinskaya, the six-time Grand Slam champion knocked out Sorana Cirstea in straight sets.

Tennis players have often complained about the scheduling of their matches because of the uncertainty around the length of each match. Kalinskaya is the latest player to add on to this narrative. What she wanted was simply to play Swiatek later in the evening so that she could recover properly. She wrote in her Instagram story:

How can the WTA and tournament expect athletes to perform their best when the scheduling is this unfair? After my match against Alexandrova, I got home from the site at 2:40am and didn’t go to bed until 4am.

The 26-year-old is chasing her career’s first WTA singles title. She has so far reached three singles finals, including one in a WTA 1000 tournament: last year’s Dubai Open, where Jasmine Paolini came from a set down to deny her the title.

I slept a bit and came to the site to practice. Then I get scheduled at 11am for tomorrow’s match – how does the tournament and WTA expect me to recover and continuously adjust my sleep pattern, which is one of the most important aspects of recovery? Seems a bit one sided.

Anna Kalinskaya added

Kalinskaya also made headlines earlier due to her argument with the chair-umpire over some fans, who she claimed were drunk, accusing them of making some noises to humiliate her. She wanted the umpire to call for security, but the latter thought there was no need for it.

Anna Kalinskaya's Instagram story
Anna Kalinskaya’s Instagram story

Before this season, Kalinskaya had never progressed beyond the second round of the Cincinnati Masters. En route to setting up the clash with Swiatek, the World No.34 also eliminated this year’s Wimbledon runner-up, Amanda Anisimova, in the third round.

Kalinskaya has reached one final this season- at the Citi Open, where she lost the match to Leylah Fernandez. After Washington, Kalinskaya suffered a third-round exit in Montreal with a straight-set defeat to Elina Svitolina.

Iga Swiatek on Taylor Swift’s new album

Iga Swiatek was not on the internet when Taylor Swift announced the TS12– her 12th album, titled The Life of a Showgirl. But Swiatek is a Swiftie, and for sure, it didn’t take her much time to know about the pop star’s new album announcement.

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift (Image via WRAL.com)

I was awake, but I wasn’t on the internet, so I think I saw it a bit later, and yeah, like, oh my God!

Iga Swiatek told Tennis Channel

Swiatek, right after her Roland Garros win, attended the Eras Tour last year. She, in fact, was handed a handwritten note from the Anti-Hero singer.

I am super happy, you know. First time, I’m waiting for the podcast, and then we’ll see what she tells us. Because now, we don’t even have the album cover. So, I guess there’s a lot to think about and to be excited about.

Iga Swiatek added

But at present, the former World No.1 would be focusing on her next match in Cincinnati. In the tournament, she has never progressed beyond the semifinals, reaching the stage in 2023 and 2024, losing both the matches to eventual winners, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka, respectively.

Also read: Emma Raducanu Opens Up on New Mindset Ahead of the 2025 US Open