Iga Swiatek suffers WTA Finals blow after injury forces Ningbo Open withdrawal

By SABC Sport
20th October 2026

Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Ningbo Open due to injury, ending her hopes of qualifying outright for the WTA Finals.

The six-time Grand Slam champion struggled with a left thigh injury during her Wuhan Open semi-final against fellow Pole Maja Chwalinska, ignoring advice from her physiotherapist to retire from the match.

Swiatek went on to lose in straight sets, with the defeat dealing a significant blow to her chances of reaching the season-ending tournament in Indian Wells.

Her injury has now forced her out of the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, leaving her unable to secure one of the eight automatic qualification spots for the WTA Finals.

Following her semi-final exit in Wuhan, Swiatek sat 545 points behind Karolina Muchova, who occupies the final qualifying position in the WTA Finals Race to Indian Wells.

With two WTA 500 tournaments - the Ningbo Open and the Pan Pacific Open - remaining on her schedule, Swiatek had enough opportunities to make up the deficit, particularly with Muchova not entered in either event.

However, her withdrawal from Ningbo means she can no longer qualify outright, even if she wins the Pan Pacific Open in Japan. A title there would still leave her 45 points behind Muchova.

The 25-year-old is nevertheless in line to qualify as one of the two alternates, alongside Marta Kostyuk, who currently sits 10th in the race and could still overtake Muchova by winning both the Ningbo and Pan Pacific tournaments.

It remains to be seen whether Swiatek will compete in Japan or travel to the United States as an alternate. Given her injury concerns, she could instead opt to end her season early.

It would mark the first time since 2019 that Swiatek has failed to qualify for the season-ending tournament. Although she qualified in 2020, that edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Swiatek won the WTA Finals in 2023, defeating Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 in the final, but has struggled at the tournament since, failing to progress beyond the group stage in both 2024 and 2025.

The former world No 1 currently sits eighth in the WTA Rankings after climbing one place following her semi-final run in Wuhan. Despite a season below her usual standards, she remains on course to finish the year inside the world's top 10.