Swiatek Points to Scheduling After Shock Loss in Dubai
Iga Swiatek suffered a stunning upset at the Dubai Tennis Championships, falling to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
The world No. 2 has endured a disappointing Middle Eastern swing by her own high standards, losing to lower-ranked opponents in both Doha and Dubai. And following her latest exit, the five-time Grand Slam champion has suggested that the intense WTA schedule is partly to blame.
Swiatek Criticizes Demanding Schedule
Swiatek was a three-time defending champion in Doha, having remained undefeated at the Qatar Open since 2020. However, her reign came to an end last week with a semi-final loss to Jelena Ostapenko.
In Dubai, she crashed out in the quarter-finals to Andreeva, making her the latest top seed to suffer an early exit. With Swiatek’s departure, all top five seeds were eliminated before the semi-finals.
Swiatek believes the WTA calendar plays a major role in these upsets.
“For sure it’s a calendar thing,” the 23-year-old explained. “We’re not going to be able to be consistent for many years playing week by week. It’s not like before when players outside the top 20 were easily beaten. Now, anyone can win these tournaments.”
Tight Turnaround After the Australian Open
Swiatek acknowledged the growing depth in women’s tennis, but she also emphasized the challenges of constant travel and surface changes.
“The calendar is not helping,” she said. “We have to switch continents, surfaces, and even the balls. It’s not easy. I’m not surprised by these results.”
The Middle East has traditionally been a stronghold for Swiatek. In addition to her three straight Doha titles, she was a Dubai finalist in 2023. However, she admitted that her deep run at the Australian Open this year left her with little time to prepare properly.
“In previous years, I had time to reset after Australia. This year, I didn’t,” she admitted. “Honestly, I don’t usually say this so directly, but I would blame this performance on the lack of practice before because I didn’t have time.”
Sabalenka Echoes Swiatek’s Concerns
Swiatek isn’t the only top player struggling with the demanding schedule. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who reached the Australian Open final just weeks ago, also admitted that competing in Doha and Dubai so soon after Melbourne is tough.
“For the last couple of years, I haven’t done well in the Middle East,” Sabalenka said. “Maybe we need to change something in the preparation, or maybe I’ll just skip these events altogether. Every time, I don’t feel great here—physically or mentally. Australia always takes a lot of energy out of me.”
As the WTA tour continues at a relentless pace, Swiatek and Sabalenka’s comments raise questions about whether the tight scheduling is affecting player performance—and whether changes might be needed in the future.
