Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from Poland's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Ukraine in Gliwice. Team captain Dawid Celt said he tried until the end to persuade the world No. 3 to join the squad. Her absence leaves Poland without a top-50 player.
Poland faces Ukraine in Gliwice for a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen. Swiatek, who led her country to the semifinals two years ago, stepped back after a demanding hard-court swing. She suffered a quarterfinal loss in Indian Wells and a first-round exit in Miami, ending her 17-month partnership with coach Wim Fissette. Celt acknowledged the coach change contributed to her decision. “I fought until the very end for Iga to be part of this event... I tried to convince and show a slightly different perspective of this performance,” Celt told TVP Sport.pl. He added that confusion in her environment made it a difficult task, though he always pushes for her involvement. Magda Linette, ranked No. 54, heads Poland's lineup alongside Maja Chwalinska, Linda Klimovicova, Katarzyna Kawa and Martyna Kubka. Ukraine relies on world No. 7 Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Oleksandra Oliynykova, Lyudmyla Kichenok, Nadiia Kichenok and captain Illya Marchenko. Reports of mass ticket returns due to Swiatek's absence drew a sharp response from the Polish Tennis Association. They stated only one refund request occurred last week, with no rise in resales, expressing surprise at doubts over fans' commitment. Days after withdrawing, Swiatek named Francisco Roig as her new coach ahead of the clay season. Celt called it a natural choice, citing her ties to Rafael Nadal, who worked with Roig for 17 years. “From my perspective, this is a natural choice,” Celt said.
