Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek said she may not miss a mandatory game to protect her health after being injured between players in the Chinese Open.
The second-place world from Poland reached the final 16 in Beijing after Colombia rival Camila Osorio retired before the second set, while Swiatek won 6-0.
It was one of five games Monday with Lois Boisson and Zheng Qinwen injured in court, while Lorenzo Musetti and Jakub Mensik retired in the men’s championship.
Since last year, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has made top players compulsory for each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1,000 matches (including Beijing) and six Class 500 matches.
But Swiatek, 24, warned that she might have to take a break to protect herself.
“It’s impossible to squeeze it in the schedule,” former World One said. “Maybe I have to pick some games and skip them, even if they’re mandatory.
“We have to be smart about it – unfortunately, unfortunately, consider what healthy rules are for us.”
The number of games in the tennis calendar has been a major conversation point in recent years, with players like Novak Djokovic cutting the number of games they play at the end of their careers.
Swiatek called the requests “very crazy” for top players, adding that in the second half of the season, “people were even more tired.”
“I don’t know yet what my career will be like in a few years,” she added. “When I decided to play all these mandatory competitions, the only thing I could do was take care of my body and take care of my recovery.
“Asian swing is the hardest part because you feel like the season will be over soon, but you still need to push.
“But yes, there’s a lot of harm. It’s because the season is too long and too intense.”
