Iga Swiatek has ended her 2026 season early after withdrawing from the Ningbo Open with a persistent left thigh injury. 

The six-time Grand Slam champion will not compete again this year and will, therefore, miss the WTA Finals for the first time since 2019.

Swiatek announced the decision on Tuesday, shortly after pulling out of the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, China. 

She said the past few months, and, more broadly, the past couple of years, had been extremely demanding, and she needed an extended period to fully rest and recover.

“I’ve decided to end my season here, which means I won’t be playing any more tournaments this year,” Swiatek said. “I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully, so that’s exactly what I will do – a bit longer this time.”

The 25-year-old had been carrying the injury into the Wuhan Open, where she reached the semi-finals before losing to fellow Pole Maja Chwalinska. 

It was her fourth defeat in 23 matches, leaving her needing a strong result in Ningbo to keep her WTA Finals hopes alive.

Her withdrawal ended that possibility. With Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk still in contention for the final place in the eight-player singles field, Swiatek’s absence confirmed she would not feature at Indian Wells, where the season-ending event begins on November 8.

It is a difficult conclusion to a season that fell well short of her usual standards. Swiatek failed to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 2026 and finished a year without a major title for the first time since 2021. She last won a major at Wimbledon in 2025.

She did claim one WTA title, winning the Canadian Open in August for the 26th tour-level trophy of her career. Yet that success could not offset a season of inconsistency, physical problems and a slide to ninth in the world rankings.