Iga Swiatek ends season early after thigh injury and misses WTA Finals

Iga Swiatek has ended her 2026 tennis season early after withdrawing from the Ningbo Open with a thigh injury, missing qualification for the WTA Finals and opting for a longer break before returning next year. [1]

The six-time Grand Slam champion said the past few months — and, more broadly, the past couple of years — had been “incredibly intense”. “I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully, so that's exactly what I will do — [for] a bit longer this time,” she said. [1]

Swiatek, 25, finishes the season ranked ninth, with a 42-16 win-loss record and one title: the Canadian Open in August. She did not reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 2026, her first season without a major title since 2021. Her most recent Grand Slam victory was at Wimbledon last year. [1]

Her final match was a semi-final defeat by fellow Pole Maja Chwalinska at the Wuhan Open on Saturday. Swiatek needed treatment for her thigh during the match but continued playing. She said she was proud of her work in the second half of the season and the progress she had made. [1]

Swiatek will have a chance to complete the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January. [1]