"I can understand Iga Swiatek's concern... It's an important topic" - Chris Evert backs Pole's criticism of demanding WTA tour schedule amid backlash

Chris Evert recently supported Iga Swiatek's criticism of the WTA tour schedule being demanding amidst the backlash she received. The Pole's comments on the schedule were criticized by former Russian tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

Iga Swiatek is currently competing at the 2024 Cincinnati Open as the top seed in the tournament. She began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. The World No.1 defeated Varvara Gracheva, 15th seed Marta Kostyuk, and Mirra Andreeva to secure her place in the semifinals.

Following her victory over the latter, Swiatek expressed during her post-match interview that there are too many tournaments in a season, making it hectic and less enjoyable for players.

"So what can I say I've been kind of an advocate, saying that well, we shouldn't be pushing and pushing for us to play more. Obviously, it's not our decision, but for sure, I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It's not gonna end well as it's just it makes tennis less fun for us. Let's just say, I mean, obviously, I love playing all these places but it's pretty exhausting," Iga Swiatek said.

The World No.1 stated that it was important for the players to rest in order to be at their best on tour.

"I think most of the players could tell you that. Especially when you're playing at the high level and, you know, going to high ranking tournaments. I don't think it should be like that. We deserve to rest a little bit more obviously maybe. People are going to hate me for that because it sounded weird that I'm asking for rest. It doesn't make sense, but the truth is that you have got to keep up with the Tour," the 23-year-old added.

The World No.1's comments regarding the WTA tour schedule drew criticism from Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who stated that no one was forcing her to participate in all tournaments. He also accused the 23-year-old of complaining too much.

"Is someone pushing you to play ??? All you fricking do is complain!! I’ll tell you what you deserve ! You deserve to get paid a lot less than you do now!! How about that?? ✌ 😉 ," Kafelnikov wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

In response to the backlash, Chris Evert came to Iga Swiatek's defense, supporting the Pole's concerns about the demanding nature of the WTA schedule . The 69-year-old also acknowledged the pressure players face, especially with events like the Olympics this season.

"I certainly can understand @iga_swiatek concern about playing too many tournaments, especially when you go deep in tournaments every week. Adding in the @Olympics and much more depth in the game, it’s an important topic…." Evert posted.

Iga Swiatek will face Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati Open 2024 SF

Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Iga Swiatek (R) [Source: Getty]

Iga Swiatek will take on third seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Like Swiatek, Sabalenka began her campaign at the WTA 1000 hard court tournament in CIncinnati in the second round after earning a first-round bye. The Belarusian defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round and then overcame Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-2 in the third round to secure her spot in the quarterfinals.

In the last eight, the World No.3 triumphed over 10th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals where she will face Swiatek.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have met 11 times on the WTA Tour, with the Pole winning eight of those match-ups. They faced each other twice this year - in the finals of the 2024 Madrid Open and the Italian Open, with the Pole winning in both encounters.

Their last meeting on the hard courts was in the semifinals of the 2023 WTA Finals, where Swiatek merged as the winner and then eventually defeated Jessica Pegula in the final to win the season-ending championships.