Iga Świątek has officially had enough of the WTA’s relentless scheduling demands. The six-time Grand Slam champion opened up about her mounting frustration with the women’s tour calendar, revealing that she intends to take control of her schedule next year, even if it means facing potential penalties. Świątek made clear that protecting her health and performance now takes precedence over satisfying the WTA’s mandatory participation rules.
Iga Świątek Leads the Call for Change in the WTA’s Demanding Calendar
Świątek has been one of the most outspoken players on the WTA Tour regarding the overloaded calendar, which many players believe pushes their physical and mental limits. Her latest comments come amid growing debate about player welfare, rest periods, and the structure of the women’s tennis season.
With tournaments spread across continents and little time between events, players are frequently forced to switch surfaces and time zones, a situation that has often led to fatigue and injuries.
Speaking to reporters during her post-match press conference at the 2025 China Open last month, Świątek called out the grueling nature of the tour. The former World No. 1 explained that the long season causes player fatigue. To protect her health, she may need to skip mandatory tournaments in the future, noting that players often feel compelled to break the rules to stay healthy.
Świątek elaborated on her stance in a recent interview with WP SportoweFakty, stating that while conversations are taking place within the WTA, progress remains slow due to the sport’s business constraints.
“There are a lot of conversations, and most of the people managing the WTA realize that the plan has gone a bit awry. The timeline is excessive. However, this is a business, meaning contracts and licenses, and you can’t just undo it,” she explained (translated from Polish).
“The process is certainly complicated, and I won’t delve into it. There is a desire for change, but not everything is entirely possible, because some decisions were made several years ago, not entirely with our knowledge. We have to deal with it and function within this system.”
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Świątek then made her boldest statement yet, declaring her intent to take control of her own schedule next season. “I won’t be looking next year at which tournaments are mandatory and which ones I could get fined for. I’ll arrange my schedule the way I think it should be. We’ll see if I’ll be mentally okay with skipping tournaments while the other girls are playing,” she said.
Ok this news slaps and it slaps well 🤙🏻 pic.twitter.com/Rk4rVKyP9W
— S.|198km/h⚡️| (@Sarilec) October 31, 2025
Świątek is currently in Riyadh for the 2025 WTA Finals, set to begin on Nov. 1. The Polish star has been placed in the Serena Williams group, where she will compete against Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, and Madison Keys. She will take on Keys in the opening round. This will be their eighth meeting on the WTA Tour, with the Pole holding a dominant 5-2 lead in their head-to-head tally.
