Iga Swiatek: When is she playing next? Will she return in Stuttgart after rib injury? Will she play French Open?
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Published 13/04/2023 at 09:49 GMT
When is Iga Swiatek playing next after withdrawing from the Miami Open with a rib injury? Will she return in Stuttgart? Will she play Madrid and Rome? The world No. 1 has not played since losing to Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals of Indian Wells on March 18. She withdrew from Miami and the Billie Jean King Cup. Swiatek is the defending champion in Stuttgart, Rome and at the French Open.
Swiatek on Miami Open withdrawal: 'It's the smart move for me'
It’s clay season – and if 2023 is anything like 2022 then on the WTA Tour that means it’s Iga Swiatek season. Swiatek dominated on the dirt last year, going unbeaten as she won Stuttgart, Rome and the French Open.
The Pole is expected to be the one to beat again over the next two months, although a rib injury that forced her to pull out of the Miami Open could give the competition a chance to close the gap.
Where is Swiatek playing first on clay and what’s her schedule leading up to the French Open? Here’s everything you need to know…
When is Swiatek playing next?
Swiatek looks set to make her return to action at the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart where she will be the defending champion.
The tournament starts on April 17, which is almost a month after Swiatek lost to Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals of Indian Wells in her most recent match.
Swiatek has since been recovering from a rib injury that forced her to pull out of the Miami Open and also the Billie Jean King Cup with Poland.
“It was a very difficult decision to make, but I have no doubts that health is the most important,” said the world No. 1 about her withdrawal.
“Unfortunately, I'm still feeling a lot of pain and I can't compete. I need to take a break to recover and I have to pull out of the Miami Open and Billie Jean King Cup.
"I will keep you updated about where I play next because it depends on my process of recovering and the recommendation of my medical team. I have the best team behind me, we only need some time to deal with the injury.”
Swiatek has not officially confirmed she will play Stuttgart but seemed to suggest so during an Instagram chat with Mikaela Shiffrin.
"I'm getting ready," she said when Shiffrin asked about getting back on the court.
"I'm starting to practise a little bit harder and hopefully I'll be ready for Stuttgart."
If Swiatek does play she will be joined in the field by world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who was the runner-up last year, Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu and Ryabkina.
What’s Swiatek clay schedule?
After Stuttgart, Swiatek will head to the Madrid Open, which is the fourth WTA 1000 of the season.
Swiatek missed the tournament last year due to a shoulder injury but is on the entry list for this year’s edition. Jabeur beat Jessica Pegula in the 2022 Madrid final.
The Madrid Open starts on April 25 is followed by the Italian Open on May 9.
Swiatek will be aiming to win the WTA 1000 in Rome for a third season in a row.
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Iga Swiatek celebrates winning the Italian Open in 2022
Image credit: Getty Images
In 2021, she thrashed Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0 in the final, and last year she beat Jabeur 6-2 6-2 to retain the title.
If Swiatek wins again in Rome she will tie Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova for the most titles at the tournament since WTA 1000 events were introduced in 2008.
The French Open then starts on May 28. Swiatek is a two-time champion in Paris and will be bidding to win the fourth Grand Slam title of her career.
How many ranking points is Swiatek defending on clay?
As Swiatek’s 37-match winning streak last year covered the clay season, she has a mountain of points to defend before the French Open.
More than a third of her total of 8,795 points will be up for grabs as she is defending champion in Stuttgart (470 points), Rome (900 points) and at the French Open (2,000 points).
The current gap to world No. 2 Sabalenka is 2,084 points so there is a chance that Swiatek could slip from top spot over the next couple of months.
However, if she plays to the same level as last year then she will remain very tough to beat and Sabalenka will need very strong results to overhaul her.
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