The Korea Open in Seoul has big problems with rain, as heavy downpours wiped out all Friday matches at the tennis tournament. This has caused the World No. 2 Iga Świątek to now play Barbora Krejčíková on Saturday morning instead.
The rain has been a headache for players and fans all week. Tournament organizers need to fit many matches into a short time before the China Open starts Monday.
How Did Rain Affect Iga Świątek’s Korea Open Campaign?
The WTA 500 tournament in Seoul faced serious weather problems as rain took over the Korea Open this week. Friday was a complete washout at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center, as all four singles matches were moved to Saturday.
The rain started causing trouble early this week. First-round matches had to be pushed back a day to Wednesday; notably, Emma Raducanu’s opening match against Jaqueline Cristian was delayed by rain. When play finally resumed, more rain came and stopped matches again.
Saturday will be very busy with four matches in the day session. The 2025 Wimbledon champion will play her delayed match against the 2024 Wimbledon champion at center court in the morning. This was supposed to happen on Friday, but the rain washed everything away. Second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova takes on qualifier Ella Seidel after that.
Two matches will happen on the center court starting at 5 p.m. The winners from Świątek-Krejčíková and Tauson-Joint play first, with the other two winners playing the second match. The final stays on Sunday as planned, which means three rounds of tennis in just two days.
Swiatek-Krejcikova cancelled for the day. https://t.co/sl0q3PfI99
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 19, 2025
This timing creates big worries as the China Open starts on Wednesday in Beijing. The Korea Open became a WTA 500 event this year, whereas the China Open is a prestigious WTA 1000 tournament. Players need time to travel from Seoul to Beijing and get ready for the bigger tournament. The China Open has more ranking points and prize money at stake.
Many top players will rush from Korea to China. Travel between the two countries takes time. Players also need practice sessions before big tournaments. The tight schedule leaves little room for rest or preparation. Some players might struggle with the quick turnaround.
With quarters, semis, and the final crammed into 48 hours, players get little rest between their biggest matches of the year.
MORE: Fans Concerned by Emma Raducanu and Others’ Match Push Back at Korea Open Amid Extreme Rain
How Did Fans React to Świątek’s Tight Korea Open Schedule?
The management is yet to announce the schedule officially, but it is mostly confirmed that the Pole will play three matches, if she wins the first two, in the next 48 hours before she leaves for the China Open. The tennis community voiced concerns over the timings and the very little rest time in between matches.
One user on X wrote, “So funny that Iga has been hanging around in Seoul for a week now, doing random media and press and playing no matches and eating Asian food and unlike some people appreciating it – and now she might have to play 3 matches in 48 hours 😭”
So funny that Iga has been hanging around in Seoul for a week now, doing random media and press and playing no matches and eating Asian food and unlike some people appreciating it – and now she might have to play 3 matches in 48 hours 😭
— sage | iga swiatek wimbledon champ (@iguszkaburner) September 19, 2025
Another fan was in total disbelief after seeing the Pole’s match get cancelled. They wrote, “Can’t believe Iga didn’t play today 🥲”
Can’t believe Iga didn’t play today 🥲
— Ramon (@ramonmexican) September 19, 2025
A fan explored the possibility of the Korean management just cancelling the tournament and found it funny. “they’re gonna play 3 matches in one day or just cancel the tournament before the final lollllll”
they’re gonna play 3 matches in one day or just cancel the tournament before the final lollllll https://t.co/zQR7ZCmiNR
— livv🦊🧡 (@livv_hq) September 19, 2025
An X user expressed hate for the weather conditions after the match was cancelled. “sched of iga vs barbie k match was also removed from today’s schedule ☹️☹️☹️☹️ i hate the rain”
sched of iga vs barbie k match was also removed from today’s schedule ☹️☹️☹️☹️ i hate the rain
— lala (@serveinsunlight) September 19, 2025
One user talked about the timings of the two matches that Świątek might play tomorrow. “Oh. Iga x Barbora quarters rescheduled to Sat 12 noon local time. And semis are 5pm.😕”
Taking out their frustration over the annoying weather, a fan wrote, “man this sh*t is annoying, always some sort of rain delay for every tournament”
The weather disruptions in Seoul have created a challenging situation for players, organizers, and fans alike. With multiple rounds compressed into a short timeframe, competitors such as Świątek face a demanding schedule just days before a major event in Beijing.
It would be interesting to see what decisions the management takes given the challenging weather conditions all week.
