World No.3 Iga Swiatek has hit out at Dubai Championships tournament director Salah Tahlak after he suggested that stricter penalties should be imposed on her and Aryna Sabalenka for withdrawing from the tournament. Tahlak expressed frustration over last-minute pullouts and said players should face harsher punishments, including docking of ranking points, instead of only financial fines.
Sabalenka withdrew due to a minor hip injury, while Swiatek pulled out because of a scheduling change. Responding to Tahlak’s remarks, Swiatek defended players’ right to manage their schedules and prioritise fitness, adding that losing ranking points is already a sufficient punishment for withdrawing from tournaments.
“I heard about the complaints but I didn’t hear about the penalty, probably because it’s a bit ridiculous [laughs]. We have a right to withdraw any time we want. I don’t see the problem honestly,” Swiatek told the reporters before the French Open.
“If we are not fit or we don’t feel like this is the right time for us to play a tournament like, are we slaves? We are allowed to decide, so I don’t see the problem. We get zero in the ranking. That’s a punishment,” Swiatek added.
Earlier, Sabalenka had also come down heavily on the Dubai tournament director, calling his remarks ‘ridiculous’ and saying the situation had not been handled well. She expressed disappointment with the organisers, accusing them of being more concerned about ticket sales and the tournament than protecting the players.
HOW SABALENKA, SWIATEK ARE PREPARING FOR FRENCH OPEN
Swiatek and Sabalenka head into the French Open as two of the leading contenders for the women’s singles title at Roland Garros. Swiatek, widely regarded as the ‘Queen of Clay’, has already won the French Open four times in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and remains one of the most dominant players on the Paris clay courts.
Swiatek has been sharpening her preparations in Paris following her semifinal exit in Rome, using practice sessions to fine-tune her game before the start of the tournament. The Pole is aiming to reclaim the title after losing her crown in 2025.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, arrives at Roland Garros determined to win her maiden French Open title. The World No.1 reached her first-ever French Open final in 2025 after ending Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak in Paris, but lost to Coco Gauff in the championship match.
The Belarusian has dealt with lower back and hip issues during the clay season, but recently declared that she feels 100 per cent fit and ready to fight for the title in Paris.
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