Iga Swiatek has brought her 2026 tennis campaign to a premature close by withdrawing from the Ningbo Open due to an ongoing left thigh problem. The decision immediately extinguished the Polish star’s hopes of securing a berth at the season-ending WTA Finals. Swiatek, who has played at every edition of the WTA Finals since 2021 and won the season-ending championships in 2023, needed to reach at least the quarter-finals in Ningbo to have any chance of displacing Czech Karolin.
To clinch the final qualifying spot held by Czech player Karolina Muchova, the 25-year-old needed to advance at least as far as the quarter-finals in Ningbo. The physical issue had already hampered her performance during a 7-5, 6-1 semi-final loss to fellow countrywoman Maja Chwalinska at the preceding Wuhan Open.
“After careful consideration, I’ve decided to withdraw from the tournament,” Swiatek stated via social media. “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.” Or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense and I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully, the past few months. A bit longer this time, so that’s exactly what I will do.
Swiatek closes out the year holding a 39-15 match record alongside a single title captured at the Canadian Open. Having triumphed last at Wimbledon the previous year, she did not secure any Grand Slam titles throughout the season and failed to progress past the quarter-finals at all four major tournaments. Currently ranked ninth globally, the former world number one also completed a brief suspension in late 2024 resulting from an unintended doping infraction involving contaminated melatonin. It gives me a lot of confidence in what’s ahead. Who has slipped to ninth in the rankings, served a short suspension in late 2024 after an inadvertent doping violation linked to contaminated melatonin, a sleep medication, the former world number one.
Reflecting on her difficult year, Swiatek noted that the campaign proved to be the most demanding of her career, marked by numerous challenges and shifts. She expressed pride in her team’s progress during the second half of the year, stating her intent to fully recuperate and return with renewed drive for upcoming challenges. I’m especially proud of the work we’ve done in the second half of the year and the progress that came with it. As always, I’ll come back with passion and motivation to keep improving.
