NINGBO — Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has called an early end to what she described as "one of the most challenging" seasons of her career after a thigh injury forced her withdrawal from the Ningbo Open on Tuesday. The 25-year-old will miss the end-of-season WTA Finals for the first time since 2019 and has dropped to ninth in the rankings after failing to go past the quarter-finals at any Grand Slam in 2026.
"The past few months, or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense," Swiatek said. "I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully, so that's exactly what I will do - [for] a bit longer this time." The former long-time world number one ends 2026 without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2021, with her most recent major triumph coming at Wimbledon last year, and with a 42-16 win-loss record and a single WTA title at the Canadian Open in August.
Swiatek needed treatment on her thigh but played on during her defeat by fellow Pole Maja Chwalinska in the Wuhan Open semi-finals on Saturday, only her fourth defeat in 23 matches. "I'm especially proud of the work we've done in the second half of the year and the progress that came with it," she said. "It gives me a lot of confidence in what's ahead." Afterwards she wiped away tears and admitted she could "go on a longer vacation" by not reaching the WTA Finals, having spoken openly about stress and anxiety on court leading to erratic unforced errors.
It has been a season of flux and frustration. In March she split from Belgian coach Wim Fissette and soon afterwards appointed Spaniard Francisco Roig — the former coach of Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu — as she looked to return to being "a rock on the court". Lifting the WTA 1,000 trophy in Toronto, where she beat Elena Rybakina — now the world number one — provided the clear high, with an unusual explosion of pent-up emotion suggesting a turning point that did not fully materialise.
Swiatek's decision to curtail her campaign was not a surprise once she withdrew from Ningbo. Even if the injury had cleared sufficiently to play another tour event in Tokyo, or to travel to the season finale in Indian Wells as an alternate, she would not have secured the mental break she has long looked to need. She will now aim to recharge before returning in 2027, when she will have the opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January.