“I deserve time to regroup” – Iga Swiatek on not chasing year-end No 1 spot

Iga Swiatek won her 60th match of the year on Wednesday, making it two consecutive seasons in which she has achieved that feat – the first woman to do so since Agnieszka Radwanska ten years ago.

And she spoke afterwards at the China Open about readjusting to her position as world No 2, and why she isn’t going all-out to reclaim the top spot just yet.

“I’m not the best person to plan things, honestly. I would put too much on my shoulders,” she smiled as she talked through her schedule for the end of the year.

“Before US Open, honestly I was kind of torn if I want to really keep pushing myself, play every tournament to fight for year-end No 1. But after US Open I realised there are more important stuff to kind of take care of. Sometimes it’s better to take it easy.

“I also shifted my attitude a little bit. I shifted it to just becoming a better player. So for sure I’m not that kind of player who’s, like, eager to play every tournament week by week. I’m also a player that needs to have a life and a balance.

“Also I feel like tennis is more fun that way when you have little bit of breaks, then you can come back and be more hungry for the game. Obviously it’s hard to do that because we’re one of the few sports that have only six weeks of break…It’s becoming harder and harder in tennis to stop and reflect and choose the right tournaments. That’s why I need good people around me and really experienced coaches to know what’s right and what’s not. I’m pretty grateful that I have that.”

Swiatek: It’s not the right way to go

Swiatek lost in the round of 16 at the US Open, and since then won only one match in Tokyo. However, she has recovered some form in Beijing, and admitted that the decision to play only Tokyo, Beijing and the WTA Finals at the tail-end of 2023 had not been a straightforward one.

“I had that No 1 ranking for a long time. I feel like I deserve time to regroup a little bit, then be better. But sometimes chasing something or really focusing on, I don’t know, how do you say that? Sorry, I forgot the word. Like giving up some stuff that seemed right to chase or to gain more points, it’s not the right way to go. I kind of understood that.”

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