"I'm going to talk to the WTA and ITF in order to change something" - Swiatek pulls out of Billie Jean King Cup
WTA
Iga Swiatek withdrew from the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, and she expressed her disappointment with the scheduling afterward.
Swiatek's name is synonymous with Polish tennis. She is the player that her country relies on at the Billie Jean King Cup, which is why her participation in this competition often decides Poland's chances of succeeding.
In 2022, the WTA World No. 1 player won't compete at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She announced her withdrawal on social media, sharing her disappointment.
"I was thinking it through a lot and discussing it with my team all over again but I will not be able to play at the Billie Jean King in Glasgow."
"And it makes me sad. I'm very sorry because I play for Poland whenever it's possible and I always give it my best. Playing in Poland this year was an honour and I hoped to do this again at the end of the season."
But Swiatek wasn't disappointed only by the fact that she couldn't play and delight the Polish fans. She was not happy about the scheduling of the tournament.
It starts just one day after the conclusion of the WTA Finals, where Swiatek is the biggest favorite to succeed. Because of that, it makes it almost impossible for her to compete in the team competition in Glasgow.
She would need to move from the United States to the United Kingdom in record time and, on top of that, switch time zones, which is not safe, according to Swiatek. She wants to talk to the WTA and the ITF to find a solution for this issue.
"I'm disappointed that tennis governing bodies didn't come to an agreement on something as basic as the calendar of tournaments, giving us only one day to travel through the globe and changing the time zone."
"The situation is not safe for our health and could cause injury. I'm going to talk to the WTA and ITF in order to change something. This situation is difficult not only for the players like me, but mainly for the tennis fans that support our sport."
