Iga Swiatek Announces Withdrawal from Ningbo and Early End To Her 2026 Season

The six-time major champion pulled out of the Ningbo Open on Tuesday and announced she won’t play again for the rest of the season. Here’s what she said and how the year led to this point.

Swiatek Withdraws From Ningbo Open With Thigh Injury

Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Ningbo Open on Tuesday, where she was the No. 2 seed and had committed to play for the first time in her career. The withdrawal comes as a result of a left thigh injury, and the Polish star cited a need “to rest and recover my body fully” on Instagram. In the post, Swiatek announced the end of her 2026 season and her gratitude for the challenging year behind her.

In a statement posted by the tournament, Swiatek said she had been experiencing an ongoing problem with her left thigh over the past weeks, and that giving herself time to rest and recover was “the right decision.”

Ending Her 2026 Season Early

In Swiatek’s recent Instagram post, she called 2026 “one of the most demanding seasons of my career, with a lot of challenges, changes and lessons along the way.” She continued, saying, “I won’t be playing any more tournaments this year.” After acknowledging the difficulties and her desire to rest, she said she was especially proud of her work in the second half of the year. 

The thigh problem became visible in her Wuhan Open semifinal last week, when she lost 7-5, 6-1 to Maja Chwalinska. Swiatek took a medical timeout, then returned to play with her thigh bandaged, but didn’t appear to be 100%.

The injury came at the end of a year that had been below her usual standards. Swiatek split with coach Wim Fissette in March after a second-round loss in Miami that ended a streak of 73 straight opening-match wins, then hired Rafael Nadal's former coach, Francisco Roig, in April.

Swiatek finished 2026 with a 39-15 record and just one title at the Canadian Open in Toronto. She went 12-4 at the majors, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but failing to take home a major title for the first time since 2021. She’s now ranked No. 9 with 4,389 points, seven places lower than where she finished in 2025.

Swiatek’s WTA Finals Pursuit Comes to an End

The withdrawal ended Swiatek’s chance of reaching the WTA Finals in Indian Wells this year. She was competing with Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk for the last spot in the eight-player field, and she trailed Muchova by 545 points before Ningbo. Swiatek needed a good run in Ningbo and some help from her opponents, but it was still possible for her to sneak into the final qualification spot or attend as an alternate.

However, the withdrawal now officially rules out her hopes of playing in this year’s WTA Finals. This will be her first absence from the WTA Finals since 2019, an event she won in 2023.

Looking Forward to 2027

Swiatek made it clear that she’s looking forward to next year, saying the work she’s done in the second half of 2026 gives her a lot of confidence in what’s ahead. Her next target will be the Australian Open, where the main draw begins in mid-January. 

The Australian Open is the one major she’s never won, and a title in Melbourne would complete her career Grand Slam. Swiatek has reached the semifinals twice, in 2022 and 2025, and lost in this year’s quarterfinals to Elena Rybakina. Hopefully, the extra rest will give Swiatek exactly what she needs to return in proper form to compete next season.