Iga Swiatek has been forced to withdraw from this week’s Ningbo Open due to a left thigh injury, bringing her 2026 season to an end. The six-time major champion will therefore miss the WTA Finals for the first time since 2019.
The 25-year-old World No. 9 finishes her season with a 39-15 record and one title, which she claimed at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto.
Swiatek failed to win a major title for the first time since 2021. She went 12-4 at the Grand Slams overall, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, the round of 16 at Roland Garros, the third round at Wimbledon and the round of 16 at the US Open.
More concerning than the injury is the fact that Swiatek has lost much of the aura that carried her to 125 weeks at No.1 and 75 consecutive weeks at one point. The Pole went 39-13 against the Top 10 from 2022 to 2024, but she has gone just 13-14 against the Top 10 since the start of 2026.
She went 53-8 at the majors from 2022-2024 and won four Slam titles. She went 63-5 on clay during those three seasons and won Roland Garros each year. In the last two seasons Swiatek has won 20 of 28 matches on clay and not reached a single final.
Swiatek was coached by Tomas Wiktorowski from late 2021 until late 2024. Since then she has been coached by Wim Fissette and Francisco Roig (who currently coaches her).
She shared a statement on Instagram following news of her withdrawal from Ningbo.
“This has been one of the most demanding seasons of my career, with a lot of challenges, changes and lessons along the way,” she wrote. “I’m especially proud of the work we’ve done in the second half of the year and the progress that came with it. It gives me a lot of confidence in what’s ahead.
“The past few months, or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense and I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully. So that’s exactly what I will do, a bit longer this time. I’ve decided to end my season here, which means I won’t be playing any more tournaments this year.
“I’m feeling grateful for everything this year has taught me and very much loving what I do. As always, I’ll come back with passion and motivation to keep improving.”
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