Iga Swiatek’s coach Tomasz Wiktorowski criticizes WTA for imposing penalties on players for missing events amid a packed schedule

Swiatek beat Marketa Vondrousova in her opening match at the WTA Finals.

Iga Swiatek’s coach Tomasz Wiktorowski criticizes WTA for imposing penalties on players for missing events amid a packed schedule

(L) Tomasz Wiktorowski; (R) Iga Swiatek (Via Open Source/X)

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has faced heavy criticism in the past as well for organizing back-to-back tournaments, leaving little time for players to recuperate or even travel to the venue. World No. 2, Iga Swiatek‘s coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, recently talked about the WTA providing new guidelines for the next season which will make taking breaks ‘harder’ for players.

Iga Swiatek played her last match at the China Open at the beginning of October where she claimed the title. The 22-year-old took a break from tournaments following her win. She made a return to court only recently for the season-end WTA Finals. In an interview with Marcin Cholewinski of the Polish Press Agency, Wiktorowski was asked if Swiatek really did need the long break.

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Tomasz Wiktorowski agreed that indeed, the break was long.

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Shortening the season for some players would be advisable, because all of them have to report to Australia at the end of December.
Wiktorowski via Polish Press Agency

He said this for the players planning to play at the Australian Open, which will begin in January next year. The 42-year-old further revealed that according to the new guidelines by the WTA for the upcoming season, several tournaments will become more mandatory and players would be penalized in case they don’t show up. 

Playing the entire season will be risky without losing points. So extending this season even further, which precedes changes in regulations, is absurd to me.

Tomasz Wiktorowski calls out the WTA over ‘mishap’ at WTA Finals

The WTA finished building a new stadium, which is the venue for the season-end Finals in Cancun just days prior to the start of the tournament. The organization’s poor preparation for the WTA Finals has invited a slew of criticism from players and tennis fans alike.

Tomasz Wiktoroskwi and Iga Swiatek
(Image via: Open Source/X)

When asked if the court surface surprised Wiktorowski, he said: 

The preparation of the facility was a bit unfortunate. This type of mishap should not happen when organizing such a large event. I would understand if it was a 250 tournament, but not the WTA Finals.

The coach also talked about Swiatek’s comments on how it felt like the world expected her to falter. Wiktorowski stated that pressure is inherent in the sport, especially when you’re the best. He praised Swiatek’s leadership, having held the number 1 ranking for 75 weeks, and recognized the weight on her shoulders. Despite the discomfort, she found the experience beautiful and a testament to hard work and training.

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