"Overall the tour is getting more and more demanding" - Iga Swiatek on 'mandatory rules' causing players injuries on both ATP & WTA Tour

Iga Swiatek recently stated that the 'mandatory rules' that are in place on both the ATP and WTA Tours are a contributing factor to player injuries. She said that the increasing demands of the tour are also playing a role in the physical toll on players.

Swiatek recently won the 2024 Madrid Open by defeating defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) to lift her first WTA 1000 Madrid title. This win marked the Pole's 20th career title and her third title of the season. With this win, she also became the youngest player to reach 20 titles since Caroline Wozniacki achieved the feat in 2012.

Fresh off her success in Madrid, Iga Swiatek arrived in Rome to compete in the 2024 Italian Open, a tournament she had previously won in 2021 and 2022. With a first-round bye, Swiatek will commence her campaign in the second round this year and will go up against either the American Caroline Dolehide or a qualifier.

During a pre-tournament press conference, the World No.1 was asked about the rising number of injuries among players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who had withdrawn from the Italian Open due to an undisclosed and right forearm injury respectively.

In response, Swiatek attributed the injuries to the growing demands of tennis but admitted that she was not an expert on determining the reason why the ATP players were getting injured.

"I mean, it's hard for me to compare ATP tennis on clay and hard. I'm not that kind of specialist actually in terms of analyzing to know why they have injuries now. Maybe on the other hand it's just a coincidence that it happened only couple of days," Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek also stated that the growing demands of the tour, the length of tournaments, and the "mandatory rules" imposed by both the ATP and WTA can also be the cause of injuries.

"Well, yeah, I think overall the tour is getting more and more demanding because of the length of the tournaments and all these mandatory rules, both on ATP and WTA. We'll see what it's going to bring in the future," Iga Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek talked about the importance of players carefully managing their tournament schedules to prioritize rest and recovery, underscoring the significance of skipping certain events to ensure optimal physical readiness for their future competitions.

"For sure scheduling-wise, the planning is going to be more important, sometimes even passing some tournaments that are important for you, for you to be ready for next one. Yeah, we'll see," she added.

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Iga Swiatek on playing Italian Open and French Open 2024 back-to-back: "Not expecting myself to be fresh, really depends how the matches are going to look like"

Iga Swiatek

At the aforementioned press conference, Iga Swiatek stated that she is not expecting herself to feel "fresh" during the 2024 French Open as she has been competing in back-to-back tournaments starting with the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Madrid Open and now the Italian Open.

Swiatek revealed that her physical and mental state is often influenced by her performance in matches - winning boosts her confidence while losing is discouraging.

"I'm not expecting myself to be fresh. Truly, like when I came to Madrid, I was more tired at the beginning of the tournament after Stuttgart than I was actually before the final. It really depends how the matches are going to look like," Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek also shared her strategy for maintaining her fitness during extended tournaments. She said that she takes occasional days off from practice to allow her body to rest and recover.

"I know that if I'm going to stay longer in a tournament, I might have also some days off where I don't even practice. We're trying to plan it differently than last seasons because we are worried. These tournaments are longer and it's not possible to have days off before, so sometimes you have to have them during," she added.