'I think that would be a good thing' - Iga Swiatek on the Billie Jean King Cup being incorporated into the WTA calendar

The 2025 Billie Jean King Cup finals saw Italy defeat the United States to win the title for the second consecutive year. With the multinational event taking place during the Asian swing of the WTA calendar, former World No.1 Iga Swiatek gave her thoughts on the idea of the finals possibly replacing a WTA event.

Swiatek is coming off a title at the Korea Open, where she raced to the final without dropping more than ten games combined. She would face some stern opposition from Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final, but defeated the Russian to win her second title since claiming her maiden Wimbledon trophy earlier this summer.

The Polish star now has her sights set on the China Open title, and is the top seed at the event following World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka's withdrawal. Nonetheless, Swiatek will have to face formidable opponents, with the likes of defending champion Coco Gauff and the in-form Jasmine Paolini waiting in the wings.

During her China Open press conference, the 24-year old spoke on the idea of the WTA and ITF working together to make the calendar less stressful for the players. With players always on the move, there is little time to recuperate.

Replacing a WTA 500 event with the Billie Jean King Cup is a start, says Swiatek

Although the six-time Grand Slam champion did not play at the event, she admitted to experiencing fatigue at this point in the year. The stress of the grueling WTA season could be more manageable if the WTA and ITF worked together to remove a WTA event in lieu of the Billie Jean King Cup.

"I haven't talked about the tournament with my teammates because I didn't play," said Swiatek. "As for the slot in the calendar, it's a good decision, because for a player who doesn't play in the WTA Finals, it's difficult to feel part of the season in November, like before, and not be able to go on vacation.
"Maybe I shouldn't talk about vacation, but let's be honest, we don't have time for it during the season. And our bodies need it too. Some players wait, others go on vacation, train for a few days, and then play the tournament, which is not ideal.
"Yes, this change is certainly positive, but there is one important point: the ITF and WTA should work together and allow players to avoid playing six or even five compulsory 500s, because if you play in the BJK Cup Finals, you have one less week to do so. If the WTA could treat it like any other tournament, perhaps removing one of the compulsory 500s, I think that would be a good thing."