A former number one defends Swiatek's decision: "Sometimes you have to learn the hard way"

Kim Clijsters supports Iga Swiatek. The Polish player has experienced a 2026 to forget, finishing her first season since 2020 without winning a Grand Slam and failing to qualify for the WTA Finals. Despite changing from Wim Fisette to Francis Roig, the Warsaw native has never managed to find either her best form or the necessary consistency. And after her injury at the WTA Ningbo, she decided to end a very turbulent year, something the former Belgian tennis player values.

Swiatek made the decision to end her season after suffering a right thigh injury that prevented her from participating in the WTA Ningbo and, thus, ended her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals. She could have gone as an alternate, but the six-time Grand Slam champion prefers to start fresh and, above all, fully recover for 2027.

Iga Swiatek closed 2026 with just one title and without winning a Grand Slam

“The last few months, or rather, the last two years, have been incredibly intense and I feel that I need to rest and fully recover my body. So that's exactly what I'm going to do, this time for a little longer. I have decided to end my season here, which means I will not be competing 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'll come back with passion and motivation to keep improving,” the Polish player stated in an Instagram post.

This decision has been widely praised by Clijsters, who appreciates that Swiatek prioritizes her physical health over her goals: “I think it's important to listen to your body and then realize, for example, 'okay, can I push myself to the max to focus on these last weeks and perhaps suffer an injury that takes longer to heal or needs more care? Or is it worth insisting during these last weeks knowing that it could make things worse or have an impact on what's coming in 2027?’. In that sense, I think it's a wise decision. Do we know all the details? It might be worse than she explains or addresses,” she commented on the Love All podcast.

Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from Ningbo due to a left thigh injury This is the first year where she will not qualify for the WTA Finals since 2019. She qualified in 2020, but the event was cancelled. Her only option now is to get in as an alternate. "After careful consideration, I’ve decided to withdraw from the tournament. I’ve been experiencing an ongoing problem with my left thigh over the past weeks and I feel that giving myself the time to rest and recover is the right decision…" Wishing her a fast recovery. 🇵🇱♥️ (via @wtaningboopen)

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 20, 2026

The Belgian believes that a decision of this magnitude is not easy: “Of course, I trust every player when they make a decision at the end of the season because there are surely more factors at play than they often show or express. There are also off-court considerations, like learning to listen to your body and understanding, for example, 'oh, this is a bit of muscle pain or a small tear'. You learn to feel the difference, but it takes time to say, for instance, ‘okay, now I have to make the right decision and not push myself'.”

In fact, she recalled some episodes from her career where minor discomfort led to injury: “But I have definitely been in that situation where I worsened an injury because I thought: 'I'll sort it out on the court, and it won't be that serious, it's probably just muscle pain', and one gives it too much importance. Sometimes it’s important to learn those lessons the hard way. Good for her for listening and for recognizing what some of her weaknesses are and maybe also for trying something different at times,” concluded Kim Clijsters, who supports the decision of Iga Swiatek, who will seek to recover from a 2026 to forget and focus all her efforts on 2027.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Una ex número uno defiende la decisión de Swiatek: "A veces hay que aprender por las malas"