Iga Swiatek's recent comments about the tennis calendar generated much attention. However, the legendary Chris Evert has supported the Pole's remarks.
Swiatek's run at the Cincinnati Open ended on Sunday. The Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka defeated her despite the Pole saving nine match points during the second set. Swiatek fought hard as always, but she was outplayed by the world No. 3.
There are still positives the world No. 1 can take from her time in Ohio. Reaching the semifinal of her first North American hard court tournament since March is still a good effort, and she produced a lot of good tennis.
However, Swiatek's entertaining brand of tennis was not the only thing fans were focused on during the Cincinnati Open. The five-time Grand Slam champion also made her feelings clear about the number of tournaments in which players have to compete.
Swiatek does not feel the current schedule for players will end well. While admitting she has no say in the matter, she thinks there are too many events, which makes playing professional tennis less enjoyable.
There are four Grand Slams and ten mandatory WTA-1000 tournaments. The WTA rulebook also states that players who are accepted or would have been accepted if they had entered must play in six WTA-500 tournaments.
It is not clear how strictly those rules will be enforced for all players, particularly for those at the very top. For instance, many players withdrew from the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open after playing at the Olympics, even though both are officially mandatory events.
Nonetheless, many players have mentioned the issue of the number of tournaments and the length of the tennis calendar in the past. Players' concerns about injuries or burnout are understandable.
In a post on X, 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert wrote that Swiatek raised an important topic with her comments and thinks the number of tournaments is challenging for players who regularly reach the latter stages of them.
"I certainly can understand Iga Swiatek's concern about playing too many tournaments, especially when you go deep in tournaments every week. Adding in the Olympics and much more depth in the game, it’s an important topic…"
Evert also responded to a fan who dismissed Swiatek's concerns. The account argued that the schedule has not drastically changed since the 1980s, meaning the players should stop whining about playing so often.
The seven-time French Open champion felt the account did not take into account the depth of the women's game in 2024. Evert admitted she did not have to bring her best tennis in the opening rounds during the era she played.
"What people don't understand is there is SO much more depth than the 80's! I played then!! The players now have to bring their "A" game in the first round; we didn't!"
Support from a legend like Evert will validate Swiatek's comments even more for many fans. Observing whether more players become vocal and back the Pole's remarks about the schedule will be interesting.