Swiatek: "In 2026, I will organize my schedule as I see fit, regardless of whether tournaments are mandatory"

Exhausted by a very intense season, Iga Swiatek has made a radical decision: starting in 2026, she will no longer comply with mandatory tournaments and will build her schedule as she sees fit.

In Riyadh, where she is preparing to begin her WTA Finals, Iga Swiatek once again criticized the tour's structure:

"The schedule is excessive. It has become a business, with contracts and licenses. But everyone knows the plan is heading in the wrong direction. In 2026, I will no longer look at which tournaments are mandatory or where I risk getting a zero in the rankings. I will organize my schedule as I want.

Maybe I will skip some tournaments, but if it allows me to be better in the ones I do play, that will be positive. The well-being of the players must be a real priority, not just a matter of increased prize money," she told SportoweFakty.

Strong words, driven by very real fatigue. After playing 76 matches this season, the four-time Roland-Garros champion has decided that in 2026, her body will dictate the schedule, not the WTA.