The Polish world No. 1 said insufficient time between the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals would make it “not safe” for her to participate in the Glasgow event, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
'I'm very sorry'
Świątek said in a statement: “I was thinking it through a lot and discussing it with my team all over again, but I will not be able to play at the Billie Jean King Cup in Glasgow.”
She added: “And it makes me sad. I’m very sorry, because I play for Poland whenever it’s possible and I always give it my best."
“Playing in Poland this year was an honour and I hoped to do this again at the end of the year,” the Polish star added.
Świątek stated: “I’m disappointed that tennis governing bodies didn’t come to an agreement on something as basic as the calendar of tournaments, giving us only one day to travel through the globe and changing the time zone.”
'Not safe for our health'
She said: “This situation is not safe for our health and could cause an injury.”
Świątek added she would “talk to the WTA and ITF in order to change something.”
“This situation is difficult not only for the players like me, but mainly for the tennis fans that support our sport,” she concluded.
The absence of the world No. 1, who has won seven titles so far in 2022, including the French Open and the US Open, “is a blow to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals,” the guardian.com website reported.
Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Poland will be making their first-ever appearance in the prestigious women’s team event, having qualified thanks to a 4-0 play-off victory over Romania in April.
That match, played in the central Polish city of Radom, featured Świątek, who won two points with two singles victories, the PAP news agency reported.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be held from November 8 to 13, with 12 teams competing at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena.
Poland, led by captain Dawid Celt, will take on the United States and the Czech Republic in the group stage, with the best team qualifying for the semifinals.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, eurosport.co.uk, theguardian.com