Świątek ends season early – missing the WTA Finals for the first time since 2020
The world No. 9 has withdrawn from Ningbo with a left thigh problem and will play no more tournaments in 2026. Marta Kostyuk is still chasing the last Finals spot.
Archive image · Photo: Hameltion / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Iga Świątek has ended her 2026 season early. The 25-year-old Pole, seeded second at the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, withdrew before her first match. According to the WTA, she cited an ongoing problem with her left thigh over the past weeks. After careful consideration, resting was the right decision, she said in a statement shared by the tournament. Alternate Anastasia Zakharova took her place in the draw.
On Instagram, the world No. 9 called it one of the most demanding seasons of her career and said she would take a longer rest. According to APA/Reuters, the six-time Grand Slam champion will miss the WTA Finals for the first time since 2020; tennisnet.com reports this year's event will be held in Indian Wells. Her 2026 record: 39 wins, 15 losses and a title in Toronto. According to SRF, she did not get past the quarter-finals at any Grand Slam; in March she split from coach Wim Fissette.
According to the WTA, the thigh problem had already affected Świątek in her Wuhan semi-final loss to compatriot Maja Chwalińska. In the race for the last remaining WTA Finals spot, Marta Kostyuk is now the main contender: the Ukrainian, seeded third in Ningbo, hopes to overtake Karolína Muchová, who is ahead of her in the year-to-date race.