Swiatek ends a tough 2026: "I need to rest and recover my body"
The Polish player, who withdrew due to injury before debuting at the WTA in Ningbo, has lost the chance to compete in the WTA Finals and thus concludes a turbulent season.
‘Annus horribilis’ of Iga Swiatek. The Polish player has confirmed through her social media that after suffering a thigh injury before her debut at the WTA Ningbo, which prevented her from participating in the tournament, and with the fact that she did not qualify for the WTA Finals for the first time since 2020, the former number one in the world has decided to end a season to forget in terms of results and performance.
“This has been one of the most challenging seasons of my career, with many challenges, changes, and lessons learned along the way. I feel especially proud of the work we have done in the second half of the year and the progress that has come with it. It gives me a lot of confidence for the future,” the Polish player began in her statement on Instagram.
“The last few months, or rather, the last two years, have been incredibly intense, and I feel that I need to rest and allow my body to recover completely. So that is exactly what I am going to do, this time for a bit longer. I have decided to end my season here, which means I will not compete in any more tournaments this year. I am grateful for everything this year has taught me, and I love what I do. As always, I will return with passion and motivation to keep improving,” concluded Swiatek, thus ruling out participating as a substitute in the WTA Finals and will return to the circuit for 2027.
🚨 OFFICIAL : IGA SWIATEK ENDS HER 2026 SEASON! 🇵🇱🔚 The former number 1 announces that she will not compete in any more tournaments this year to rest and recover physically. 🗣️ “These last few months, or rather these last two years, have been incredibly intense, and I feel the need to rest and allow my body to recover completely.” She will not participate in the WTA Finals as a substitute. ❌
— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) October 20, 2026
Iga Swiatek ends the 2026 season with just one title to her name
The Polish player concludes a year that was very tumultuous from the start. Eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open against Elena Rybakina, and subsequently defeated in the first round of the Miami Open, she decided to take a drastic step: part ways with Wim Fissette, the coach with whom she won Wimbledon in 2025.
Instead, Francis Roig, a former member of Rafa Nadal's team, who had last coached Emma Raducanu, came on board. Swiatek traveled to Mallorca and was seen training alongside her idol. Green shoots began to appear, but when it came down to it, she couldn't find her way back to finals or winning titles. Her best result on the clay tour, her favored surface, was a semifinal at the WTA 1000 in Rome, while at Roland Garros, where she has four titles, she was eliminated in the round of 16.
Soon after, she succumbed to the pressure of defending her Wimbledon champion title, losing the crown in the third round, but allowed herself a small joy by winning the WTA 1000 in Canada. It was a good sign for the US Open; however, in the round of 16, she squandered a 5-0 lead against Qinwen Zheng and for the first time since 2020 closed a season without winning any Grand Slam. More than a technical problem, it seemed to be a mental block.
Despite the disappointment, she still had the motivation to fight for a spot in the WTA Finals, but her Asian tour also fell short of expectations (quarterfinals in Beijing and semifinals in Wuhan) and she ended it in the worst possible way: with an injury. Nevertheless, Iga Swiatek prefers to send a positive message, wipe the slate clean, and think about a 2027 where she must find her best tennis again if she doesn't want to experience another forgettable season.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Swiatek pone fin a un duro 2026: "Necesito descansar y recuperar mi cuerpo"