"It seems like a unilateral decision," Kalinskaya's outburst after scheduling her match against Swiatek in Cincinnati

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Adrien Guyot

le 15/08/2025 à 15h41

1 min to read

Cincinnati Kalinskaya Swiatek

Anna Kalinskaya has advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati. After her victories against Peyton Stearns and Amanda Anisimova, the Russian defeated her compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova (3-6, 7-6, 6-1) in the round of 16 and will face Iga Swiatek for a spot in the semifinals.

However, Kalinskaya, scheduled to play at 5 p.m. French time (11 a.m. in Ohio), expressed her frustration. She had qualified late on Wednesday night into Thursday and will have very little recovery time before facing the Polish player.

"How can the WTA and the tournament expect athletes to perform at their best when the scheduling is so unfair? After my match against Alexandrova, I left the site at 2:40 a.m., and I didn’t go to bed until 4 a.m. I barely slept before heading back to practice. Then, I’m scheduled to play at 11 a.m. for tomorrow’s match.

How do the tournament and the WTA expect me to recover and continuously adjust my sleep rhythm, which is one of the most important aspects of recovery? It seems like a unilateral decision," wrote the 26-year-old player, ranked 34th in the world, in a story posted on her Instagram account in recent hours.

Kalinskaya will aim to secure her second WTA 1000 semifinal in the coming hours against the Polish player, following her run in Dubai last year (where she even defeated… Swiatek in the semifinals to reach the final, before losing to Paolini).