Defending champion Iga Swiatek won’t be playing this year at the China Open in Beijing due to personal reasons.
Swiatek had a bounce-back event in Beijing last year after losing the World No. 1 ranking at the US Open due to crashing out in the quarter-final against Jelena Ostapenko.
In the Chinese capital, she played superb tennis, proving once more that she was among the best, and won the WTA 1000 event to give herself a chance to reclaim the number one rank.
With a superb finish at the WTA Finals some weeks later, Swiatek was able to get back to number one, but it wouldn’t have been possible without that China Open triumph. Not only did it give her lots of points, but it also restored her confidence, allowing her to finish strongly for the rest of the year.
She’s in desperate need of something like that this year as well because she was beaten fairly early at the US Open, failing to make a deep run in New York. Unfortunately, though, she won’t get the chance to restore her confidence in Beijing because she will not play at the event.
In a shocking announcement made via the WTA, Swiatek confirmed that she won’t play at the tournament, which runs from September 25th to October 6th, due to personal reasons.
"Due to personal matters, I’m forced to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing. I’m very sorry as I had an amazing time playing and winning this tournament last year and was really looking forward to being back there."
"I know that the fans will experience great tennis there and I’m sorry I won’t be a part of it this time."
It's an interesting development, as Swiatek hasn’t really looked injured, and that doesn't even seem to be a reason for her withdrawal. It's hard to point to what might be the exact cause. However, only a few hours ago, the Polish player asked her fans to donate to victims of heavy floods in Poland.
"Dear fans, there is a huge flood happening in Poland and the situation is very difficult. If you would like to support, there is an emergency flood relief fundraiser organized by the Polish Red Cross. People that are not from Poland can use this link to join to raise money."
"Damage is unbelievable. A lot of people lost everything and there are massive funds needed to help them. Thank you for every gesture of support."
Her withdrawal might directly impact the Polish player's chances of finishing the year as the World No. 1. While Swiatek is firmly placed ahead of Sabalenka on the WTA Rankings, the 2024 WTA Race has them fairly close.
She will drop lots of points due to not playing, which will tighten the gap for the number one spot, and in the WTA Race, the Belarusian player will get a chance to overtake her with a final run at the event.
There is also the mental impact, which could prove huge as she loses a good chance of snapping back to form. There is also a minor warning sign that something might be going on in Swiatek's life, as she withdrew from the Korea Open as well. Fans will be hoping to see her on the courts as soon as possible.
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