(Tennis news) World Number 1 Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to a shoulder injury. The 20 year old won her fourth consecutive title at the Stuttgart Open on Saturday and was due to start her Madrid campaign today but said: “My body needs rest”. The Polish tennis player has confirmed that she hopes to take part in the Italian Open in May followed by the French Open.
In a statement released on Twitter, Swiatek said “After an intense few weeks and winning four titles in a row, it's time to take care of my arm that has been fatigued since the Miami Open and I haven't had the chance to handle it properly. I need a break from playing so intensively in order to treat my arm well.”
She later spoke to reporters in Madrid and said “It's not like we have some drama because everything is OK. We just thought that this is the best decision for me to recover properly because I didn't really have time to recover after all these tournaments. Right now I feel like this is the best decision for us to get ready for Rome and have the peak of my form in Roland Garros."
Swiatek will aim for her second Grand Slam title in Paris and will enter the tournament as one of the favourites, having previously won the Roland Garros in 2020. She was crowned World Number 1 last month after Ashleigh Barty unexpectedly retired from professional tennis and the 20 year old Polish player is currently in red-hot form, winning 23 consecutive matches.
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