Iga Swiatek’s physio explains why she did not retire from her Wuhan Open semi-final, ‘stop talking nonsense’

Iga Swiatek exited the Wuhan Open semi-final in dramatic fashion, as her physical condition failed against Maja Chwalinska.

In what was promised to be a great day for Polish tennis, the match was sadly marred by uncomfortable scenes, with the six-time Grand Slam champion clearly struggling to compete. During one medical time-out, she was pictured in tears as the physio desperately tried to conjure some comfort.

It sadly did not work, and Iga Swiatek lost the second set by a 6-1 margin.

She has since revealed that she considered withdrawing after her second-round match, highlighting the true extent of this issue. And yet, she refused to retire from her semi-final match.

Many have questioned this decision, with some even focusing on her physio’s failure to get her off the court.

However, he has actually taken to X to shed some more light on the decision, defending himself in the face of unfair criticism.

Iga Swiatek’s physio defends decision not to retire from Wuhan Open semi-finals

Maciej Ryszczuk acted after seeing one tweet, which questioned why he was ‘pushing it’ by not pulling Swiatek off court.

He reacted with great passion, clearly desperate to ensure that he was not held culpable for what was clearly Swiatek’s decision.

The Polish coach wrote: “Please stop talking nonsense.

“I told her three times to stop the match because it’s bad for her health. She made the decision herself to continue playing, and since she made that one, I support her as much as I can.”

Swiatek had also been ill during this week, making it a truly gruelling tournament all around for her. 

Can Iga Swiatek still qualify for the WTA Finals?

It is still possible for Swiatek to qualify for the WTA Finals, but it will take a monumental effort.

And, with these fitness concerns having emerged from the Wuhan Open, the likelihood is decreasing.

Elina Svitolina has recently become the seventh player to qualify for this end-of-season showcase, and so there is just one spot left.

Karolina Muchova currently occupies that spot with 4,735 live points, just ahead of Swiatek, on 4,189 live points.

When asked about it after her latest defeat, Swiatek did not seem all that bothered about qualification.

She admitted: “Well, you know, it would be great to get it over with, but it’s okay. Like, this is the result of the whole season, and I can’t expect that in my tournament I’m gonna, you know, just get in, and you know, it’s a result of not being able to play in Madrid, like losing first round in Miami, like losing some matches that maybe I shouldn’t have, so you know, just a little bit more.

“I’m for sure motivated. I feel like I’m playing good and it’s been a good week. I feel like I’m hitting the ball good, so I’ll play, I’ll rest, and I’ll go to Ningbo and see how it goes. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. I can also go on a longer vacation.”