HEALTH RULES FOR SWIATEK

World No. 2 may drop compulsory events from hectic schedule to take care of body

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Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek said on Sept 29 she might skip mandatory tournaments to protect her health after a string of injuries among players at the China Open.

The world No. 2 from Poland reached the last 16 in Beijing after her Colombian opponent Camila Osorio lost their first set 6-0 and retired hurt before the second.

The amount of matches on the tennis calendar has been a major talking point in recent years, with players such as Novak Djokovic cutting back the number of events they compete in as they near the end of their careers.

“I don’t know yet how my career is going to look like in a couple of years,” the 24-year-old Swiatek said.

“Maybe I will have to choose some tournaments and skip them, even though they are mandatory,” she added.

Starting in 2025, the WTA made it mandatory for top players to participate in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events — which includes Beijing — and six 500-level tournaments.

“It’s just impossible to squeeze it in the schedule,” the former world No. 1 said.

“I think we have to be smart about it, not really unfortunately care about the rules and just think what’s healthy for us.”

Swiatek called the requirements “pretty crazy” for top players, adding that “people are more fatigued” in the second half of the season.