Iga Swiatek: I will return to action at BJK Cup finals

A day after losing the world No.1 spot, Poland’s Iga Swiatek has said she will return to action in the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Malaga in November.

Swiatek, 23, lost her No.1 position to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka when the rankings were updated, largely because she had not competed in enough WTA tournaments.

Swiatek has not played since her US Open quarter-final defeat by Jessica Pegula in September and decided to miss the WTA tour’s Asian swing due to fatigue. More recently she parted ways with her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, earlier this month and replaced him with Belgian Wim Fissette.
However, on Tuesday she said she is ready to return for her country, who face hosts Spain in the opening match in Malaga. The finals will feature 12 nations competing in a knockout format from November 12-20.

As one of the seeded countries, Australia received a bye to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Slovakia or USA. “See you in Malaga! I’m happy to announce that I will play in the BJKC Finals,” Swiatek posted on social media. “I’m glad that I’ll play for my country and proudly represent Poland. Together with team Poland we will give our best on the court.”

Swiatek will also take part in November’s WTA finals in Riyadh, giving her a chance to reclaim top spot in the world rankings.