"I try to be careful and attentive, take care of my health": Swiatek calls for potential return of masks amid virus going round at US Open

World number two Iga Swiatek has called for players who are unwell to wear masks during the mega-events.

There has been a lot of talk about a virus spreading in the US Open 2023 which led to at least two players — Emil Ruusuvuori and Dominic Thiem — withdrawing from the competition.

A few other players — such as Ons Jabeur, Hubert Hurkacz, Christopher Eubanks and Petra Kvitova — also complained about health issues during the tournament.

Swiatek was quoted in a report where she urged the players who are unwell to wear a mask in order to avoid any virus spread.

"It would be nice if those players who feel bad would wear masks or something like that,” she said. “I don't know if it's something related to Covid, but usually at sporting events like this, these things can spread easily. I try to be careful and attentive, take care of my health.

“I've already had a few colds this season and it's had a big impact on me, so at a grand slam I definitely don't want to make those mistakes. I also watch what I eat. It's important for me to keep an eye on everything and prevent it"

Swiatek had a pretty disappointing campaign where she was defending her title but eventually lost to Latvia’s Jeļena Ostapenko with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

That defeat also ended the Polish tennis star’s reign as the number-one player in the WTA rankings after spending 72 weeks at the helm.