Iga Swiatek pulls out of China Open 2024, third withdrawal since August

Iga Swiatek’s withdrawal comes at a crucial stage in the year-end race to the WTA No. 1 spot.

Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the China Open 2024 citing personal reasons for the announcement mere five days before the WTA 1000 event was to begin. Swiatek won the China Open last year with a straight-set win over Russian Liudmila Samsonova in the final.

The World No. 1 and defending champion at the WTA 100 event was on track to emulate countrywoman Agnieszka Radwanska to win two trophies in Beijing. Radwanska was the winner in 2011 and 2016.

The two-decade-old China Open is to be played between September 25th – October 6th 2024. Serena Williams won the first edition in 2004 and once again in 2013.

Hope to see you back on court soon, @iga_swiatek 🙏 pic.twitter.com/BmKspkGofd

— wta (@WTA) September 20, 2024

Swiatek drew alongside Ash Barty’s 121 weeks as World No. 1 this month. The Pole qualified for the WTA Finals Riyadh in August and will be making her fourth appearance at the event.

With the China Open having lost its defending champion without a single game being played, Aryna Sabalenka, the 2023 quarter-finalist, steps in to lead the field. The next two higher-ranked players following Sabalenka are the 2023 semi-finalists Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina.

Also Read: WTA Finals 2024: Top stars who can secure the remaining six spots

Swiatek, 23, drew attention to the crowded tennis calendar earlier this year. She also withdrew from the Canadian Open and the Korea Open, citing fatigue as a reason. The Pole picked up her fourth French Open title in June and a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August. A loss to Jessica Pegula in the US Open quarter-finals followed.

Swiatek and Sabelenka have already qualified for the inaugural Riyadh edition of the WTA Finals. The 23-year-old Pole has a 2169-point lead over Sabalenka at the top of the WTA Rankings. Swiatek is on 10,885 points, while Sabalenka is on 8,716 points.

With Swiatek gone, the Belarusian has an opportunity to bridge that gap. Three more events offer a clutch of points that Sabalenka can use to her advantage and take the fight to Swiatek for the year-ending No. 1 position.

The Wuhan Open (WTA 1000), followed by the Ningbo Open and Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis – both WTA 500 events – all three are scheduled for October and will help decide the year-ending WTA World No. 1.

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