Iga Swiatek is currently lying extremely low as her main rivals prepare to get underway at the WTA Finals.
Swiatek ended her 2026 season last month in a bid to rest and recover for 2027, and is now in the Maldives doing exactly that. Meanwhile, the majority of her fellow top 10 players are in Indian Wells for this year’s WTA Finals.
However, world number one Elena Rybakina will not be making an appearance. She travelled to the venue as the defending champion, but has since decided to withdraw from the event because of illness. Rybakina has been replaced in the draw by Marta Kostyuk, with the situation possibly leaving Swiatek with a sense of regret.
Where will Iga Swiatek be ranked at the end of 2026?
Iga Swiatek may feel some regret after WTA Finals missed chance
Kostyuk finished the Race to the WTA Finals in 10th place, one spot behind Swiatek in ninth. The alternate spot could, therefore, have been snapped up by the Pole, who has now missed out on a fantastic chance at ending her season on a high.
Swiatek admitted to her toughest season to date in 2026, even with another WTA singles title arriving in Toronto. But she fell short at Grand Slam level, while the world number nine is some way off her career-high world number one ranking.
Like Kostyuk has, the six-time Grand Slam champion would have replaced Rybakina in Group 1 at the WTA Finals. And she could have got off to a dream start against Linda Noskova, against whom Swiatek boasts a 5/1 win/loss record.
American pair Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are also in that half of the draw in Indian Wells. Swiatek is 7/6 against the former, and 11/5 against the latter, again suggesting that she could have enjoyed success at the WTA Finals.
| Rank | Player | Points |
| 1 | Elena Rybakina (Qualified – Withdrew) | 8,099 |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka (Qualified) | 6,485 |
| 3 | Mirra Andreeva (Qualified) | 6,306 |
| 4 | Coco Gauff (Qualified) | 5,763 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula (Qualified) | 5,760 |
| 6 | Elina Svitolina (Qualified) | 5,121 |
| 7 | Karolina Muchova (Qualified) | 4,665 |
| 8 | Linda Noskova (Qualified) | 4,343 |
| 9 | Iga Swiatek (Ended season) | 4,188 |
| 10 | Marta Kostyuk (Qualified – Alternate) | 3,910 |
There is, of course, the other side of the coin involving the 25-year-old. Swiatek is clearly feeling both physically and mentally fatigued after another demanding season. She isn’t typically one to call time on her seasons early, but was obviously left with no choice this time around.
So while she may have missed out on a glorious opportunity at the end of 2026, Swiatek’s decision to finish her campaign should really pay off in the long run, particularly for the start of 2027. And that is more than understandable given what she could achieve, with the Pole looking to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open.
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