Swiatek announces she won’t play until Wimbledon

Recent Roland-Garros champion Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Ladies Open in Berlin, meaning the world No 1 won’t play on grass until Wimbledon.

The event was due to start on Monday, 17 June, with Swiatek the top seed. However, the Pole has released a statement saying she needs to prioritise recovery after the clay court season.

“Due to overall physical and mental fatigue after an intense nine weeks, unfortunately I do need to withdraw from the tournament in Berlin in order to rest and recover,” she said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Clay season forces Swiatek to take break

Swiatek is on a 19-match winning streak, having won Madrid, Rome and Roland-Garros over the European clay court swing. However, the quantity of matches has taken its toll on the 22-year-old, with Swiatek once again unable to have the build up she’d like to Wimbledon.

“If I would lose here earlier, maybe I would be able to play two more weeks on grass and then be a better grass player,” Swiatek said over the weekend in Paris, foreshadowing her withdrawal from the Berlin WTA 250 event. 

“But if I would choose, I love playing on clay, so I’m not going to give up that ever.”

“I feel like every year it’s easier for me to adapt to grass,” she added.

Swiatek has never played an extensive run into Wimbledon. In 2022, she did the same and went straight from Roland-Garros to the year’s next Grand Slam. 

Other years, however, she’s played at least one event, in either Bad Homburg or Eastbourne.

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