Iga Swiatek withdrew from the upcoming Canadian Open in Toronto as the schedule doesn't allow her to compete.
The tennis schedule is generally very packed, which is why most players need to be really selective with the events they play. Swiatek is one of those players, as her skill level would permit her to play most events and still be favored to win.
It's not something many players can afford, but for the World No. 1, it's not necessarily a blessing. It makes it harder to pick her spots as to where to play. This year, the situation was made even tougher by the inclusion of the Olympic Games into the calendar.
It made an already packed schedule even more packed, and many players prioritized the Olympics above other tournaments. The reverse happened, as well, as some notable names like Aryna Sabalenka opted to play in Washington this week instead of the Olympics.
For Swiatek, the Olympic Games were a clear choice. She got herself to the medal rounds, where she suffered an upsetting loss to Qinwen Zheng, which was minorly softened by her win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the bronze medal match.
Competing this previous week on clay left her chances of playing at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto fairly small. Besides the quick surface change, which in itself is rather problematic, Swiatek has also played a lot of tennis lately.
The Olympics were a special case because they were not only physically but also emotionally draining, which made competing in Toronto look very unlikely.
Therefore, it's not surprising that the Polish player withdrew from the event, which was confirmed by a press release which included a short comment from Swiatek on why she had to withdraw.
"I’m sorry to announce that due to overall fatigue caused by the last couple of weeks on the court, I need to withdraw from the tournament in Toronto."
"Due to an intense tennis schedule with the Olympics taking place this year and changing surfaces, I need more time to rest and recover in order to be ready to play the US swing in good health and at my best possible level. Looking forward to playing in Toronto next time!"
It's unclear whether this means that Swiatek will skip over the Cincinnati Open as well, but for now, it seems unlikely. She will need a competitive event before the US Open to get into the swing on the hard courts, and that's the perfect place to do so.
There is also enough time for her to rest from this Olympic experience and still get a few days of practice ahead of that event. Karl Hale, the tournament director of the National Bank Open in Toronto, understood Swiatek's withdrawal, seeing the importance of the Olympics.
"We understand the unique honour of athletes in an individual sport representing their country at the Olympic Games and that players must do what is best for them in terms of their health, recovery and schedules."
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