France Press agency
NOS Sports•
Iga Swiatek pulled out of the Billie Jean King Cup fight in November. The Polish world’s number one seed believes that the tight schedule makes it impossible to participate in the country’s championship in a responsible manner.
The Billie Jean King Cup will take place from 8 to 13 November in Glasgow, Scotland, with Poland being one of the twelve participating nations.
The week before, Swiatek would play the WTA Finals in Fort Worth (Texas), the traditional year-end tournament with the top eight players, where many points can be earned for a world ranking.
“I am disappointed that the tennis associations have not come to an agreement on a basic principle such as the tournament calendar, we now only have one day to travel around the world to another time zone. This situation is not safe and not good for our health,” Swiatek says in a statement on social media.
The Billie Jean King Cup, which was called the Fed Cup until 2020, is organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The WTA Finals is a tournament of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
‘Working on a better calendar’
ITF president David Haggerty acknowledges the problem of tight schedules and says it presents a challenge for players looking to compete in both tournaments. “We want to work with the WTA on a better schedule for 2023, so we have a better transition between the two tournaments,” he promises.
The 21-year-old Swiatek is the most successful tennis player of the year. She won seven tournaments this season, including the US Open and Roland Garros. Between February and July, Swiatek managed to win 37 consecutive matches, including six championship victories.
