Iga Swiatek latest schedule decision described as ‘very smart’ by Serena Williams’ former coach
Iga Swiatek has made herself unavailable for selection for Poland’s upcoming Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Ukraine.
The six-time Grand Slam winner is coming off a disappointing Sunshine Double as she was beaten in the quarter-final by Elina Svitolina and was then stunned by fellow Pole Magda Linette in the second round of the Miami Open.
Having started the North American hard-court swing at No 2 in the WTA Rankings with Aryna Sabalenka at the top, Swiatek’s poor run of form has seen her drop to No 4 with Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff moving ahead of her.
On the back of her Miami exit, she announced that she had parted ways with her coach Wim Fissette with the search for a new mentor now officially underway.
The 24-year-old was initially expected to next be in action for seventh seeds Poland when they face Ukraine in the Billie Jean King Cup in Gliwice on 10-11 April, but she has decided not to play.
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In a post on social media, Swiatek wrote: “Today I want to share another decision. I will not be playing in the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tournament in Gliwice. This is not an easy decision for me, as playing in Poland has always held and holds special significance for me and I know that many of you were looking forward to seeing me on the court.
“Recent times have been demanding for me, both in terms of sports and the changes happening around me. I feel that I need a moment to pause, organize certain things and focus on calm, quality work. I hope you understand.
“We have a great team – I am sure that @magdalinette will do a wonderful job leading the girls. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the entire squad: @lindaklimovicova, @katarzynakawapl, @majachwalinska, captain @dawidcelt and the whole team. I will be cheering for you with all my heart.
“Thank you for your support – it really means a lot to me.”
It is the second tournament that Swiatek has decided to skip so far this year, as she also withdrew from the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.
Legendary coach Rick Macci believes Swiatek’s latest schedule change will help her to be “firing” on the clay.
“Very smart the Polish Punisher is not playing the next event,” Macci – who coached both Serena Williams and Venus Williams – wrote on social media.
“Iga has been there done that. She has delivered the mail. She knows the drill She feels the temperature. She is a champion. She will dive in the deep end when she is ready and the Punisher will be firing and on dirt.”
The reigning Wimbledon champion’s next event is the Stuttgart Open on the clay at the Porsche-Arena with the WTA 500 event getting underway on 13 April.
She is a two-time champion in Stuttgart, having won the title in 2023 and 2024, but lost in the quarter-final against Jelena Ostapenko last year.
