Iga Swiatek Finally Speaks Up After Brutal Tennis Scheduling Forces 3 Retirements at China Open

Iga Swiatek marches into the Beijing Round of 16, but her latest win comes under a cloud. The top seed advanced after Camila Osorio, her second-round opponent, retired abruptly with an injury following a medical timeout. The timing was striking. Just moments earlier, Swiatek had fired a double fault and slipped behind 0-40 in the second set. It’s a bittersweet way forward. Swiatek is still blazing in peak form, dropping only three games across three sets this week and delivering two commanding 6-0 sets. Even so, Osorio’s sudden exit is a sobering reminder of the injury toll hanging over the tournament.

Swiatek didn’t hold back her sympathy for Osorio after the match. “For sure, I’m sorry for Camila, because she’s always giving her 100%,” the Pole said. She shared that Osorio had flagged her injury from the very start. With her sharp eye on the day’s trend of retirements, Swiatek showed real empathy for the battles her fellow athletes endure each season.

Pressed about the mounting fatigue affecting players like Carlos Alcaraz late in the year, Swiatek gave a refreshingly honest answer. “Obviously the season is long. The second part of it I think people are more fatigued. The Asian Swing is the hardest because you feel the finish line coming, but you still have to push,” she reflected.

In Beijing, retirements continued to cast a shadow over the tournament. Jakub Mensik was forced to withdraw while trailing 1-4 against Alex de Minaur. The Australian now makes his first-ever semifinal appearance at the event after a strong run on court. On the WTA side, Lois Boisson bowed out at 2-6, 0-1 down to Emma Navarro. She had already taken a medical timeout for a left thigh issue in the opening set. Her leg was heavily bandaged, and she could not carry on in the second.