Iga Swiatek
announced that she will play in the
Billie Jean King Cup after initially
deciding not to participate. The 5-time Grand Slam champion reversed her
original decision not to play in Malaga, and the announcement comes just days
after being dethroned from the top of the rankings by
Aryna Sabalenka.
Iga Swiatek to lead Team Poland
Poland had
initially announced its Billie Jean King Cup team, featuring
Magdalena Frech,
Magda Linette, Maja Chwalinska, and Katarzyna Kawa. However, captain Dawid Celt
seems to have convinced Swiatek to return to defend the European team.
Celt has a
close relationship with Swiatek, having worked with her temporarily for nearly
a month, after the 23-year-old announced changes to her team before hiring Wim
Fisette as her coach.
A year ago,
Swiatek chose not to participate in the competition following an exhausting
season, as it was held just days after the WTA Finals. It was expected that
this year she would take a break again, as she was not initially announced in
the team.
The 4-time
Roland Garros champion said: “See you in Malaga! I’m happy to announce that I
will play in the BJKC Finals,” she posted on Instagram. “I’m glad that I’ll
play for my country and proudly represent Poland. Together with team Poland we
will give our best on the court. I hope you’ll watch and support us. See you
soon.”
With this,
Swiatek now has two events lined up before the end of the season. In two weeks,
she will play the WTA Finals from November 2 to 9, while the Billie Jean King
Cup finals are held between November 13 and 15. If Poland advances through the
quarterfinals and semifinals, an eventual final will take place on November 20.
In the
round of 16, Poland will face Spain, led by
Paula Badosa. If they win, they
will face the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals, featuring Linda Noskova,
Katerina Siniakova, Marie Bouzkova, and Karolina Muchova.
