Iga Swiatek withdraws from China Open due to 'personal matters'

The break doesn’t seem to end for the World No. 1 ranked Polish star, Iga Swiatek. The 5-time Grand Slam winner has pulled out of the upcoming China Open in Beijing. The decision comes after Swiatek withdrew from the Korea Open in Seoul recently due to fatigue. Swiatek last played in the US Open where she fell in the quarter-final against Jessica Pegula. The World No.1 cited ‘personal reasons’ for her decision to withdraw from the China Open. The Polish champion would’ve entered the tournament as the defending champion this season following her win against Russia’s Liusmila Samsonova in 2023.

Defending Champion Iga Swiatek set to miss China Open this year

The 2024 edition of the China Open is set to start on September 25 in Berlin. In her tournament debut last year, Swiatek dropped only one set on her way to clinching her sixth career WTA 1000 title. Her run included ending 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff’s 16-match win streak in the semifinals before defeating Liudmila Samsonova in the final. However, the Swiatek will miss the event this year as confirmed by her in a statement on Friday.

"Due to personal matters, I’m forced to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing. I’m very sorry as I had an amazing time playing and winning this tournament last year and was really looking forward to being back there,” Swiatek informed. "I know that the fans will experience great tennis there and I’m sorry I won’t be a part of it this time,” she added.

This season, Swiatek has claimed victory in four of the eight WTA 1000 tournaments but last competed at the US Open in New York. She also withdrew from this week's Hana Bank Korea Open in Seoul, citing scheduling adjustments. In addition to Swiatek, World No.9 Maria Sakkari who is recovering from a shoulder injury and World No.10 Danielle Collins have also withdrawn from the main draw. Additionally, 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu pulled out from qualifying due to a knee injury.

However, the rest of the WTA Top 10, according to the PIF rankings, are expected to participate. Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian and US Open champion, will enter the China Open as the top seed, having reached the quarterfinals twice in three previous appearances. US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula is projected to be seeded second.