"No matter how many meetings we have, we do not have any decision-making power" - Iga Swiatek bemoans WTA Finals 2024 being held in Saudi Arabia

Iga Swiatek recently disclosed that top players on the women's circuit had no influence on the decision taken by the higher-ups surrounding the WTA Finals.

The WTA recently inked a three-year deal to hold their year-end championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This decision was widely criticized by women's tennis advocates and fans on social media as the Middle Eastern country doesn't protect LGBTQ+ rights.

In that context, Iga Swiatek recently spoke to Punto de Break on the WTA Finals being held in Saudi Arabia and a few other adjacent topics. When asked whether she and her peers had any bearing on the above decision, the World No. 1 replied in the negative.

Moreover, the Pole insisted that her tight schedule necessitates that she focus on her tennis. That said, she is admittedly "curious" about the logistics of organizing the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

"I have learned that, no matter how many meetings we have, we do not have any decision-making power. I hope the WTA Finals will always be a great event, but I was wondering if the WTA will make any changes," Iga Swiatek told Punto de Break.

"They are still negotiating, but I am curious to know what will be done. We travel to many places, I try to focus on my tennis and I don't have space in my head to think about other things, but I'll see what I find there (in Saudi Arabia) because there are still several months left," she added.

As a case in point, Swiatek rued how the WTA expanded the minimum number of mandatory 1000-level events that players must appear at from 4 to 10. She also wished for players to have a say in such topics in the near future.

"Sometimes it's uncomfortable. We have had a couple of situations where it would be good for the WTA to take lessons from what happened, such as the changes in mandatory WTA tournaments," Swiatek said. "It's a little hard for us because these are important issues for our calendar and our recovery time. So I hope everything changes. We will have more meetings, but I want to discover the influence we will have on these decisions."

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Iga Swiatek: "Last year I was very involved with everything related to politics in sport"

Iga Swiatek hits a backhand at the 2024 Madrid Open

During the interaction, Iga Swiatek was also quizzed on how she felt regarding the negotiations about holding the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. While the 22-year-old didn't give a conclusive answer, she did disclose that she was contributing more to the politics of the women's tour relatively more in 2023.

"Last year I was very involved with everything related to politics in sport and this year I prefer to focus on myself," Iga Swiatek said. "I have a lot of things to work on myself, but I also want to give my opinion when it is something important, but now I only know they're talking about rumors."

Swiatek is looking to win her maiden title at the Madrid Open this week. Having received a first-round bye, the top seed opened her campaign at the Caja Magica in style on Thursday (April 25), beating Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-4. She will next face 27th-seeded Sorana Cirstea for a place in the fourth round at the WTA 1000 tournament.