ITF President David Haggerty responds to Iga Swiatek's criticism

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ITF President David Haggerty acknowledged that the timing of this year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals and WTA Finals is not ideal and added he is sorry Iga Swiatek won't be competing in Glasgow. The Billie Jean King Cup Finals, organized by the ITF, is set to kick off on November 8 in Glasgow.

Between October 31 and November 7, the WTA Finals will be taking place in Texas, the United States. This week, Swiatek pulled out of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, citing an "unhealthy schedule." “The ITF is sorry that Iga Swiatek is unable to take part and recognizes that the schedule for the two major year-end events presents a challenge for players competing in both events,” Haggerty told Reuters.

"We have been working with the WTA to try to coordinate suitable dates. While we were able to confirm the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Glasgow back in June, the WTA Finals venue in Fort Worth, Texas was confirmed during the US Open and restricted in terms of available dates”.

Haggerty promises Swiatek they will do a better job in 2023

“We are committed to working with the WTA on the 2023 schedule so that we have a better transition between the two competitions," Haggerty added. Swiatek, who has by far won the most points this season, will be competing at the WTA Finals but not at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

"I'm disappointed that tennis governing bodies did not 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. This situation is not safe for our health and could cause injury.

I'm going to 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," Swiatek announced this week.