World No 1 Iga Swiatek has started practicing on clay. Swiatek, 21, missed the Miami Open due to a rib injury. At the start of this week, Swiatek resumed her training. Now, Swiatek is back on the practice court, preparing to kick off her clay season.
ð§±ð§± pic.twitter.com/6Xm5EhAMHQ — Iga ÅwiÄ tek (@iga_swiatek) April 6, 2023
Between April 14-15, Poland will be taking on Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.
When withdrawing from Miami, Swiatek also announced she would miss the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers. However, Swiatek is expected to play at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, which starts on April 17th.
Swiatek will be the defending champion in Stuttgart
Last year, Swiatek enjoyed a very impressive debut on the clay courts of Stuttgart after beating Aryna Sabalenka to win the title.
In December, Swiatek signed up to return to Stuttgart in 2023. “I loved the atmosphere in Stuttgart last year and am looking forward to this one. I especially appreciate tournaments so close to Poland because my fans can support me on-site and it makes the atmosphere even better; so, I’m happy confirm I’m going to play there in 2023,” Swiatek said in a statement.
This week, Swiatek celebrated her first anniversary since becoming the world No 1. Swiatek is widely considered the best player in the game and the Stuttgart organizers are thrilled to have her at their tournament. “The fact that Iga will also be coming to the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a fantastic compliment for the tournament.
I’m so pleased for our spectators. In confirming, she’s basically saying that she felt very much at home in Stuttgart. Her return also shows that the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and its traditionally strong draw is exactly the right sporting challenge that a top player like Iga loves, and it’s one that she wants to take on,” Stuttgart tournament director Markus Gunthardt said.
