Iga Swiatek bows out of Beijing battle

World number one Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the upcoming China Open. The WTA 1000 event will be organised in the capital city of China, Beijing, from September 25th to October 06 where some of the top players from all over the world will participate to showcase their talent and secure the ultimate prize.

World number one Swiatek, who would have been the defending champion in the competition, has announced that she would not take part in the competition. The Polish tennis star announced that her withdrawal is because of ‘personal’ reasons and that she is hopeful that the fans will be able to enjoy some top-quality tennis in the competition.

"Due to personal matters, I’m forced to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing,” she said. “I’m very sorry as I had an amazing time playing and winning this tournament last year and was really looking forward to being back there. I know that the fans will experience great tennis there and I’m sorry I won’t be a part of it this time."

Last year, the Warsaw-born star defeated Liudmila Samsonova in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2 to lift the title. Her withdrawal will be good news for world number two Aryna Sabalenka. Because of not taking part in the competition, Swiatek will not be able to defend some crucial points, which could have an impact on the race to finish top in the WTA Rankings.

As things stand, the Polish tennis star is number one in the WTA rankings with 10,885 points to her name. Sabalenka is second on the list with 8,716 points. After withdrawing from the mega-event, Swiatek will be under a lot of pressure as she will try to hold on to her top position in the WTA rankings in the final months of the season, where she will be defending the WTA Finals title as well.