When the matches come thick and fast, a simple, straight set victory can do a player a world of good. However, looks like not everything is going the way of Iga Swiatek at the moment. Earlier today, she took no time in dispatching the challenge of Polina Kudermetova in straight sets. In a match lasting just over an hour on No. 2 Court, Swiatek took home the win 7-5, 6-1. Even though she faced very few challenges on the court, Swiatek had to withstand a common problem at Wimbledon, which she highlighted after the match.
The opening day at the Championships saw temperatures exceeding 32 degrees celsius (89.6°F), making it the hottest opening day in the tournament’s history. Moreover, the weather in the UK can change in no time, and players have to be prepared for heat, cool temperatures, as well as rain. As for Swiatek, it was clear which of three was her least favorite weather to play in.
During the post-match interview, she said, “Playing in this heat, I’m glad some clouds came. This day was pretty… I don’t know. I didn’t know how I’m gonna survive it. In tennis we need to be ready for the rain, heat, everything. Especially in UK as you see.”
Iga Swiatek after beating Polina Kudermetova at Wimbledon
“Playing in this heat, I’m glad some clouds came. This day was pretty… I don’t know. I didn’t know how I’m gonna survive it. In tennis we need to be ready for the rain, heat, everything. Especially in UK as you see.” pic.twitter.com/rXqxtqGcpE
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 1, 2025
However, Swiatek wasn’t the only one complaining about the severe temperature at the tournament. French tennis veteran Adrian Mannarino, who regularly sprayed sunscreen on his shaved head at changeovers, said, “For sure, you feel like the sun is getting closer and closer every minute that passes by. I was struggling a little more than usual.”
Meanwhile, local star Sonay Kartal wasn’t immune to the heat of her home country either, “I’m not going to lie, it was pretty hot. I think (it was) a bit of a rookie mistake, not doing a change of clothes at the end of the set. It was hot, but I had ice towels, cold drinks and stuff. I wouldn’t say it affected me too much.”
These unfortunate climatic conditions come at a time when Swiatek is struggling for form. She has yet to win a tournament this year (her last title was last year’s French Open), and Wimbledon’s extreme heat would add another layer in pursuit of her comeback. However, this isn’t the only problem she’s facing. Recently, Swiatek called out another major issue in the sport.
Iga Swiatek slams WTA for hectic scheduling
With so much at stake, the players are forced to play in the tournaments week after week. Amid a packed tennis calendar, there is hardly any breathing space for the players. This has been highlighted by Iga Swiatek on many occasions, and she once again called out the WTA for compelling the players to play in more than 20 tournaments in a year.
During an interview, she said, “The scheduling is super intense. It’s too intense. There’s no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year. Sometimes we need to sacrifice playing for your country because we need to keep up with playing these WTA 500s, for example, because we’re going to get a zero in the ranking. I think these kind of obligations and the rules about mandatory tournaments just put pressure on us. I think people would still watch tennis, maybe even more, if we played less tournaments. The quality would be better.”
With the competition getting more intense, such issues would only harm the quality of play, in general and not just Iga Swiatek’s. Thus, it is about time that the tennis bodies pay heed to players’ requests and provide a fair ground for them to play.
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