Iga Swiatek has often commented on the packed schedule, but she will not take a break from tennis as she's committed to playing until November, when the season ends.
The tennis season is very long, and it almost doesn't have an end. There's a minor break between November and January, but generally, most players have only a few weeks to rest.
It largely depends on the type of schedule they elect to play, but for someone like Swiatek, it's a very short gap. She will play at the WTA Finals in November, and by the second week of December, she will slowly start prepping for the new season, as the new season begins even before New Year's.
By that time, most players will already be down in Australia and ready to play, so it's only about a month off. She's had longstanding issues with the schedule, calling it 'too much' many times, but even with that stance, Swiatek is not keen on missing too many tournaments.
The Polish player was asked about the schedule following her 2024 US Open loss to Jessica Pegula, and she confirmed that she doesn't want to take a break despite her frequent complaints about the schedule.
"I don't want to take a break. It's tough. It could be a little bit easier, but I'm keeping up with the schedule. I'm only talking about mandatory tournaments and there are rules about mandatory tournaments. But I'm ready for playing till November, I guess, unless I'm going to get injured."
She is committed to playing until November, as there are a few more big events coming up. First, it will be the Asian swing with the China Open and the Wuhan Open. Then, there's also the WTA Finals later this year, which she doesn't want to miss.
The Pole could also compete at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, but she will likely miss the team competition because of the schedule. Swiatek caught a lot of heat back home in Poland for skipping the Billie Jean King Cup, but she blamed the schedule for it.
The event begins immediately after the conclusion of the WTA Finals, and that's just too short of a turnaround for most players, including Swiatek.
Her previous comments on the schedule are well documented, and she's just one of many who have spoken out about it. Players have been pushing back against expanding the schedule even further and were left stunned when the ATP and WTA 1000 events were expanded.
"I think players are aware that this is crazy what's going on. The schedule is really tough. We don't even have time until the end of the year, because literally the first tournament starts on 29th of December. So yeah, the season is, for sure, too long."
It's very likely that the sport will get more events in the future because it's what's profitable. Ultimately, tennis is run like a business, and whatever is profitable will likely happen. Players have a voice in that, but those voices were, unfortunately, ignored in the past.
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