Iga Świątek has revealed she had been battling a thigh injury throughout the WTA Guangzhou tournament and came close to withdrawing days before her semi-final defeat to compatriot Maja Chwalińska, according to RMF24.
The six-time Grand Slam champion was visibly emotional during a medical timeout in the first set of Saturday’s all-Polish semi-final, with tears visible as medical staff bandaged her quadriceps muscle. Despite the intervention, Chwalińska claimed the opening set, and although Świątek completed the match, the second set offered little competitive tension.
Speaking at her post-match press conference, Świątek explained that the pain had been present from the tournament’s opening rounds. “From the start of the tournament I was feeling a certain pain in my quadriceps muscle. Every day I managed to cope with it,” she told reporters, as quoted on the WTA website.
The former world number one disclosed that withdrawal had been seriously discussed as early as her second-round encounter with Magda Fręch. “Already after the second round, in which I played against Magda, we were considering withdrawing, but I was able to play fairly normally, so I decided to go further and try to forget about this pain,” Świątek said.
Tears and determination
By Saturday’s semi-final, however, the injury had become too severe to manage. “Today it was already too hard,” Świątek admitted. Despite the worsening condition, the Polish star refused to concede the match without a fight.
“It’s sad because I felt we were playing great tennis and I wanted to continue it. At a certain point I knew that winning would be very difficult, but I didn’t want to give up the match. It was important to me that Maja won in a sporting way,” she added.
The decision to play through the pain ultimately meant Chwalińska advanced to her first WTA final, where she will face Britain’s Sonay Kartal on Sunday. The British player defeated Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the other semi-final, prevailing 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-5) in a pair of tight tie-breaks.
Kartal savours final opportunity
Speaking to journalists before learning her opponent’s identity, Kartal acknowledged the challenge ahead. “I expect another difficult match. Regardless of who it is, a challenge awaits me,” she said.
The 22-year-old Briton emphasised her determination to embrace the occasion. “To win this match, I have to present my highest level. I’m happy at the very thought of competing, I intend to take joy from every second spent on the court. I know that getting this far in tournaments of this rank doesn’t happen every day,” Kartal told reporters.
She added: “Therefore, regardless of who stands on the other side of the net and what the result will be, I will make sure to really savour this moment.”
What this means for Poles in the UK
For Polish tennis fans in Britain, Sunday’s final offers a compelling match-up between two players from neighbouring nations. While Świątek’s injury is a disappointment for those hoping to see both Polish semi-finalists progress, Chwalińska’s advancement marks a significant career milestone. The final will be broadcast on standard sports channels that carry WTA events. For Poles following the tournament, Chwalińska’s performance represents an opportunity to see emerging Polish talent compete at WTA 250 level, even as questions remain about Świątek’s fitness ahead of future tournaments. The extent of Świątek’s injury and her recovery timeline have not yet been disclosed by her team.