A thigh problem ends Swiatek's Ningbo campaign
Iga Swiatek will not play the BNB Ningbo Open, with organizers confirming on Tuesday that a left thigh injury forced the second seed out of the draw. The Polish player, currently ninth in the world rankings, is being replaced by alternate Anastasia Zakharova. In a statement circulated by the tournament on social media, Swiatek explained that she had weighed the decision carefully and that the thigh issue had persisted for several weeks, making rest and recovery the sensible course.[S1][S2]
The injury is not new. Swiatek felt the same problem during her semifinal defeat to fellow Pole Maja Chwalinska at the Wuhan Open last week, a match in which she struggled at times and which Chwalinska went on to win the title. Swiatek also expressed regret at missing the Ningbo event, thanking the organizers and the fans who had hoped to watch her, and said she was already thinking about returning the following year.[S1][S2]
The last WTA Finals place hangs in the balance
Seven of the eight places for the season-ending WTA Finals at Indian Wells, which begins on Nov. 8, are already settled. Swiatek sits ninth in the standings and is battling Karolina Muchova, seventh, and Marta Kostyuk, tenth, for the one remaining berth. The WTA's pre-tournament briefing set out the arithmetic: if Swiatek fails to reach the Ningbo quarterfinals and Kostyuk does not make the final there, Muchova takes the last spot.[S1][S2]
Muchova is sitting out this week, while Kostyuk is competing in Ningbo as the third seed, so the outcome now depends on results that Swiatek cannot influence. Her withdrawal therefore removes her own chance to answer on court and hands the initiative to her rivals.[S1][S2]
Ostapenko also retires on a difficult day
Swiatek was not the only player to leave the court early on Tuesday. Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko retired from her match against fifth-seeded Belinda Bencic while trailing 6-3, 1-1. Ostapenko had received medical attention during the opening set before she pulled out.[S1]
