Tennis fans recently reacted to Iga Świątek’s criticism of the demanding WTA Tour calendar. The World No.2 made these remarks following the retirement of her third-round opponent, Camila Osorio, at the 2025 China Open.
In addition to Osorio, who withdrew due to an abdominal injury, several other players, including Zheng Qinwen, Loïs Boisson, Paula Baodsa, and Barbora Krejčíková, also retired from the tournament in Beijing due to injuries.
How Did the Tennis Fans React to Iga Świątek Continuing to Criticize Hectic Tour Calendar?
At the 2025 China Open, Świątek is the top seed and began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated wild card Yuan Yue in her opening match, winning 6-0, 6-3. The Pole then advanced to the fourth round after Osorio retired from their third-round match, with the score reading 6-0, 0-0 (retd).
During the post-match press conference, Świątek stated that the lengthy season contributes to player fatigue, especially during the Asian swing towards the end of the year. She mentioned that she might consider skipping some mandatory tournaments in the future to prioritize her health.
“The season is long. The second part of it I think people are more fatigued. I think the Asian Swing is the hardest part because you feel like the season is going to finish soon, but you still need to push. Maybe I will have to choose some tournaments and skip them, even though they are mandatory. WTA with all these mandatory rules, they made this pretty crazy for us,” Świątek said.
The six-time Grand Slam champion also noted that top players cannot compete in all mandatory events while maintaining their health.
“I don’t think any top player will actually be able to achieve playing the six 500 tournaments. It’s just impossible to squeeze. I think we have to be smart about it, not really unfortunately care about the rules and just think what’s healthy for us. Yeah, it’s tough,” she added.
In light of Świątek’s comments, a fan highlighted how the WTA calendar has evolved over the past 25 years, noting that players are now required to participate in nearly 20 mandatory tournaments this year.
This drew various reactions from tennis fans, who took to social media to express their thoughts. One fan remarked that the WTA doesn’t seem to want its “star” players to have “long careers.”
“Seems like WTA doesn’t want their current stars to have long careers,” a fan posted.
Seems like WTA doesn’t want their current stars to have long careers
— Anna Zofia Niezgodzka (@Anna_Niezgodzka) September 29, 2025
Another fan supported Świątek’s comments, suggesting that top players should consider skipping events for the sake of their physical and mental well-being.
“Thanks for this. Really illuminating. I think Iga is 💯 right. Top players should just start skipping events that don’t make sense for them in terms of their physical + mental health. If anyone can afford to (pts &💰), it’s them! And they are the ones that drive ticket sales,” the fan wrote.
“Smart Iga,” one fan remarked.
Smart Iga.
— Marika Palasi (@ikayrikay) September 30, 2025
“This is madness! Wta needs money but all these mandatory tournaments is not the solution. At this point, top players like Saba Iga and Coco should choose to only play tournaments they want to, risking points and money penalities,” a fan posted.
“I don’t think any tournaments should be mandatory tbh. Play if you feel like you’re healthy and motivated enough to compete and if you’re not…don’t compete,” a fan wrote.
Looking ahead, Świątek is set to face 16th seed Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the China Open. The winner of this match will advance to compete against either fifth seed Jessica Pegula or 23rd seed Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals.
