Before we go on, I have to say that Swiatek comes from a completely unique perspective, being at the top of the WTA food chain. She wins a lot of matches and therefore has a lot of tough weeks on the tour.
At 23, she has already played 62 games and will likely play another 20 to 30. That’s what it’s like when you’re consistently at the top of your sport. Swiatek has always made it clear how much she values rest, but with so many events to play in (many of them compulsory), she often finds herself mentally and physically exhausted from tournaments.
“I don’t think we should do that. We deserve to take a break. People will probably hate me for saying that,” she added.
The Polish player’s comments might be seen as a bit tone-deaf to players who, unlike Swatek, need ranking points and prize money.
We all know how tough it can be to not be in the top 100 or even top 50 on tour, so the more opportunities there are to play, the better for those who struggle with the brutal endgame of the sport.
Swatec’s excuse is that there are now more mandatory tournaments for top players. Naturally, the tour wants to showcase the best talent in more venues and for more weeks. And with many Masters events expanding from one week to two, it’s really getting harder for players like her.
We have to listen to her and ask ourselves: Do we want her to burn out before she turns 25? It makes me think of Ash Barty, who must have doubted the hardships of tennis before she retired from the top of the sport at 25.
Reviews of Swiatek’s comments were mixed, with the most talked-about one coming from Yvgeny Kafelnikov on X.
“Is someone pushing you to play?” he wrote. “All you do is complain!! I’ll tell you what you deserve! You deserve a lot less than you are getting now!! How about that??”
